What Lies Beyond
by Kurisuta358
Summary: Shinjiro and Minako possessed a romantic yet heart rendering bond, but how deep would the bond be if they met in a different setting and time with room to grow? What true emotion did Minako suppress afterwards? A revelation of what could have been.
1. Chapter 1 Beginning of the New

**Author's Preface**_: Yes, yes. You are now about to read another Shinjiro and Minako fan fiction. I've only been a member of this site for a month or so, but in that time I've seen several Shinjiro oneshots, stories, etc. Now, I'm mustering up enough resolve to finally write my first material for Persona 3!_

_As I stated in the summary, I love the pairing of Shinjiro and Minako, and after reading other fan fictions dedicated to those characters, I was inspired to write my own. I will present nothing but my best writing here with my love for this series as my drive to do better, but as I approach the impending tragedy between these two characters, my writing style will become darker with more gloom. Bear with me, though. ^_^_

_Something needs to be addressed, though, before you read my fan fic. If you're a diehard persona fan like me, you know EVERYTHING about Persona 3. With that said, you might wonder why there's still __**school going on towards the end of August when it was summertime then during the game**__. I'm still keeping the accurate dates of when Ken joins, which is on 8/28, but the very next day, Saturday, they go to school. I wanted to make it like this because I wanted Shinjiro and Minako to meet at a school setting shortly after Ken joined. This way, Shinjiro will be joining on 9/2 like he did in the game and the two already know each other. __**The conversation between Akihiko and Shinjiro explaining how Ken has joined changes as well and comes earlier than in the game.**__ If you're baffled by this logic, just pay no mind to it or just don't read the work. Daijoubu? _

_~~Kthanksbye~~_

**Chapter One: Beginning of the New**

August 29-After school-Classroom

"Won't you please come with me, Minako-chan? Please?" I turned around to face Fuuka with an anxious smile. This was about the fifth time she had asked me, and I could tell she was _begging_ me to go to this cooking club with her after school, but there was one simple fact that prevented me from going: I couldn't cook.

"I-I don't know, Fuuka. I'm pretty busy and—"

"But that's what you said last time!" She rebuked. She realized her sudden outburst and quickly lowered her voice, her eyes darting away from mine. "I-I'm sorry. I just really want you to come with me."

I sighed heavily, resting my head against my desk. I couldn't help but pity her countless pleas. I've heard so many horror stories of her "cooking skills". Even though I considered myself a badass, I still couldn't stop from cringing at the thought of eating sugar cookies made of vinegar, or hot sauce, or whatever other obscene ingredients she would accidently add.

But she was Fuuka, and there was no way I could say no to her.

Well, I already did before, but this time was different. When I thought about it, I realized I hardly ever spent time with her except for when we planned to go to Tartarus, and it was important for me as a leader to hang out with each of my teammates.

"Okay, I'll go," I finally said, lifting my head off the desk and giving in to her beseeching stare. "But maybe we can avoid…_cooking_ anything." Hey, I had to at least give it a shot.

"Oh, thank you so much, Minako-chan!" She exclaimed with bliss. "Come on, this way!" she cuffed my left arm tightly in her grasp, yanking me out of my seat and practically dragging me down to the Laboratory Hall and into Home Economics.

"Will you take it easy, Fuuka?" I tried saying in between my gasps for air, but nothing could stop that girl whenever she got excited. I couldn't help but laugh at her enthusiasm, even though I could feel my taste buds burning as we approached my impending doom.

But little did I know that Fuuka's cooking wasn't the only problem I would be dealing with today.

Home Economics Room

"Okay, so let's bake something simple since it's your first time here," Fuuka's insisted, looking at the recipe book with wide, glossy eyes.

"Sure…"

"Let's see…I want something sweet today, so…sweet fries! Won't that be fun?"

"Y-Yeah!" _I can almost feel the sour taste in my mouth. _

So we went on with the cooking process, following the recipe strictly to make sure I didn't mess up. I could only hope that she was doing the same. I had to admit that cooking was pretty fun. It made me feel like a stereotypical woman by working in a kitchen, which was what I wanted to avoid this whole time, but it was still fun. Besides, who says I can't kick ass during the Dark Hour and still keep my pride while cooking during the day?

"Okay, so I want to make sure these fries are extra soft and sweet. Soft and sweet is good, right?" Fuuka announced dubiously. I looked in horror as I watched her literally _dump_ in baking soda in one hand and sugar into the other, completely ignoring the measuring cup right beside her.

"Wait, Fuuka!" I swatted the boxes out of her hands, making them collapse on the ground and spew across the floor. I looked down at the bowl, but I couldn't tell what she was trying to do. I didn't know what other ingredients were in there; everything was drowning in sugar, baking soda, and way too much water.

"Well, at least you didn't forget to add sugar and baking soda in there," I finally said, trying to sound reassuring.

""Yeah, unlike last time," she recalled gravely.

"Hey, don't worry about it. There's always next time." I tried to scoop up as much as I could to try and help her, but by her expression, she was done for today. There was so much wrong with this that it was beyond repair, anyways.

"It must get lonely in here by yourself," I said, trying to change the subject. "Tell you what…as of today I'm now an official member of the cooking club! We'll try again next time, okay?" _What am I getting myself into?_

"Really? Thank you, Minako-chan!" Her expression almost instantly changed, her eyes glistening with delight. "But I'm not the only member here, you know. Come to think of it, he didn't show up today…" She said, wandering off in thought.

"Wait, did you say _he_?" I know I was sounding like I was discriminating, but the thought of a guy sucking up his manly pride to come and bake after school blew my mind. The more I thought about it, though, the more I grew to like the idea of a guy being in the cooking club. If anything, it would show how sweet and unbiased he was. It would illustrate his ability look past the stereotypes of others and show the capability of opening his heart! With a heart so great as his, he could break free from any shackle of society while—

"Minako-chan, are you okay? You look like you're daydreaming." Fuuka's voice snapped me back in reality, and I almost bit my tongue from embarrassment. What was I thinking? I was fantasizing over a complete stranger. Then again, who knows what this guy could be like?

Now I _really_ needed to be a member. I had to get a look at this potentially kind yet strong man, this crafty yet gentle soul. I knew that with one look, I'd fall head over—

"Dammit, I'm late again..." A stern voice cut through my thoughts as the entrance door swung open, revealing a tall, slim boy wearing a burgundy pea coat and black pants. A dark grey beanie sat comfortably on his head, his brown hair resting on his shoulders. He reminded me of one of those punks I would see at the back of Port Island, and that definitely wasn't a good sign.

So what the hell was _he_ doing here? And when was my amazing, kind knight coming?

"I'm sorry I'm late, Fuuka," he spoke between pants. His voice was as gruff as his appearance, but its mature tone was almost alluring. "I was in the middle of—"He stopped mid-sentence, his silver eyes focusing on me now. "Who the hell is she?"

"Hello to you, too!" I shot back, staring him down just as much.

"Shinjiro-senpai!" Fuuka said cheerfully, seeming to overlook the sudden face off between the two of us. "This is Minako Arisato, a junior transfer student. She's our new member, so that makes three of us now. Isn't it great?"

"Just great," he mumbled. I didn't get it. Was there baking soda on my face? Did I give off the wrong vibe? By the look of his outfit, I didn't even think he went to this school. So why was he giving me a death glare if he didn't even know me?

"How is he a member when he doesn't go to school here?" I finally asked. The boy looked away from me as I spoke, walking over to the recipe book and flipping through the pages.

"Oh, Shinjiro-senpai is a senior, but he doesn't like wearing his uniform. Actually, he just doesn't like coming to school, I guess. He always comes here, though."

I noticed a smug grin form in the corners of his mouth as he turned a page of the book, looking as if he was proud about Fuuka's knowledge of his reputation of skipping.

"I don't know why they bother giving me the assignments I miss, but it's really…" He came to a stop and leaned over the counter. "Fuuka, what the hell is that?" He inquired, pulling the bowl towards him. He winced at the soupy mixture of water, baking soda, sugar, and…and whatever else Fuuka might have put in there.

He looked up at me with an agitated glare. "Is this what you call cooking?"

"This isn't mine, you jerk!" I snapped, snatching the bowl away from him and setting it closer to Fuuka.

"Sorry Senpai, but that's mine. I messed up. Again," Fuuka admitted, laughing nervously. Instead of yelling at her like he did with me, he merely shook his head and smiled weakly, returning to his book.

"Fuuka," I began saying timidly. "Is this really the other member you were talking about?"

She nodded firmly. "Yes. Shinjiro-senpai is an amazing cook! He's helped me so much since I joined, even though I still can't get the hang of things."

"Okay." I didn't try hiding my disappointment. Here I was expecting this great, kind, well-rounded guy, and I get _this_ punk? Talk about a letdown.

"Is there a problem with that?" He questioned, refusing to look at me. "I don't know, Fuuka," he added after a quick exhale. "Are you sure she's good enough for this club?" He finally looked in my direction, narrowing his eyes and sliding his hands in his pockets. "I mean, this isn't easy, you know. People think anyone can cook, but there's more to it. It's a pain in the ass sometimes and even dangerous. Would you be able to keep up with us?"

I rested my face against my first, leaning my elbow on top of the counter nonchalantly. I gave him my best indifferent expression in response to his challenge, showing the same steely resolve in my eyes as he was.

"I think I can handle it, but thanks for the concern, _senpai_." I managed a quick grin after I caught a glimpse of his red face.

He drew back his glare and looked away, his eyes flickering nervously at the wall and back to the cook book. Was I really able to throw him off with just my sarcasm?

"Well, we really didn't get much done today since I messed up," Fuuka stated, breaking the tension. "So let's meet up again on Monday, okay?"

"Fine by me." With that said, Shinjiro took his hands out of his pockets and slammed the book shut, making his way out of the room. He gave one last look at Fuuka as a sign of a goodbye, unsurprisingly avoiding my gaze.

"Well, wasn't he pleasant?" I muttered as the door shut behind him.

"Oh, Shinjiro-senpai is always like that. You just have to get to know him. I'm used to the way he acts," She explained, cleaning out all the bowls and supplies.

"You've known him for a while, huh?"

"Just since the beginning of the year. I would come here to the meetings and in between lunchtime when I was bullied a lot, and I would always see him here. We've talked a lot since then."

"Hm, maybe you two should date," I suggested, fiddling with my bangs that fell to the side of my head.

She inhaled sharply at the remark, nearly dropping the boxes of sugar and baking soda that she picked up off the floor. "O-Oh no! I could never date him. I just couldn't! I-I really don't want to date anyone while I'm in high school, and senpai and I…we just don't—"

"I get it, Fuuka." I turned my attention to her and smiled genially, calming her down a bit. Honestly, that girl worried way too much.

But I sure was one to talk. I couldn't get that guy out of my head, and that wasn't meant to sound like I was fantasizing again. I couldn't help but wonder if he was really that big of an ass to everyone like she said or if it was just to me. What could I have done to piss him off?

"Ready to head back?" She asked, holding the door open.

"Oh, Yes. Let's go."

Well, what was the point in worrying? Besides, that guy probably already forgot about me. By his looks, I could tell I was just one of many faces he would see, right?

Evening-Tatsumi Port Station Outskirts

It was a normal, windy day out here, but he didn't mind. Shinjiro stood alone out back of the station again, staring fixatedly at that one spot, that one location that continued to chain him down to despair. There were others here, too, but he disregarded them like everyone else. They were just the usual punks that would hang around and gamble all night and pick fights with each other. People probably considered him as one of them, but he didn't care. As long as he was here looking at that spot, nothing else mattered but the memories.

But tonight, something besides the memories was bothering him.

"Hey Shinji." That familiar voice ruptured his concentration, just like it did nearly every night. He didn't even have to look to know who would be talking to him at this time.

"Why are you still coming here?" He asked the owner of the voice. He could sense his figure right beside him, but Shinjiro continued to stare ahead, his fingers anxiously grazing the surface of the remaining change he had left in his pocket.

"I just thought I'd tell you about the new member that joined the other day. His name is Ken Amada."

Shinjiro stood paralyzed at the sound of that name, that very familiar, haunting name. This person knew very well that this name would surely get Shinjiro's attention.

"So, I suppose you really want me to join now," Shinjiro managed to say. He looked up at Akihiko Sanada, captain of the boxing team, owner of the persona, Polydeuces, and his childhood friend.

"You can do whatever you want, Shinji, but it would be nice to have you back."

_I have to join now. This way, I can make things right._

"I'll think about. I promise."

He didn't have to think twice about it. Now that Ken joined, he knew he would be joining eventually, too. He couldn't do it right away, though. He would wait a few days until Ken was settled in the dorm.

Besides, Shinjiro had another matter to discuss with his friend.

"Say Aki, what is your leader like? You know, Minako Arisato…"

Akihiko's expression seemed to brighten at the sound of her name, his hazel eyes beaming at him. "Well, she's amazing to say the least. I've only hung out with her a couple of times, but I've seen her up close in action every time we go to Tartarus. Her fighting style is incredible, and she rarely ever shows signs of weakness. We're pretty lucky to have her as a leader if you ask me."

"Heh, there's no need to kiss her ass and make her sound great when she's not even here, you know."

"H-Hey, I'm telling the truth! She really is a reliable leader."

"Is that so?" Shinjiro became lost in thought again. He had figured she would be as good as Akihiko had described her, but he still couldn't help but feel unconvinced. He knew from the moment he saw her that she was the leader of S.E.E.S, considering how Akihiko had mentioned her appearance briefly before—a girl with long, brunette hair in a ponytail with vibrant, crimson eyes. That's why he was treating her so coldly. He wanted to test what she was like outside of battle, but her personality was incomprehensible to him.

"I saw her at the cooking club after school today," he decided to point out. "She's a lot more snide and cocky than you mentioned."

He told Akihiko the event that took place between the two, the "event" being the big glaring contest with each other. He explained everything she had said to him, especially that sarcastic remark at the end. He knew that he was making a big deal out of it, but there was something about that smirk of hers that mocked him, or maybe it was something else.

"It was as if she was challenging me," he concluded aloud.

"Challenging you, huh? She _does_ tend to do that." Akihiko placed his hands in his pockets, smiling at the thought of her aggressive personality. She seemed to be easier to read to Akihiko than she was to Shinjiro. "But what do you think of her?" He asked.

"She's annoying and beyond my understanding, like most girls."

"Come on, Shinji. She's not that bad. You'll change your mind once you spend more time with her."

"Maybe, but I don't really care either way."

Akihiko slightly shuttered at the incoming sharpness of the wind against his face. He turned away from his friend to see everything gradually being consumed by the darkness of the arriving night. He had to leave soon before the Dark Hour came.

"It's getting late. You should get out of here soon," he insisted.

"I could say the same for you." Shinjiro was getting tired of seeing him tonight. What was he saying, anyways? Where else could he go but here? Akihiko had the dorm to return to, but the gruff, lonesome teen would find himself sleeping here against the wall for the rest of the night, just like he did nearly every night when he wasn't taking refuge at the club or any other type of shelter.

"Well, I'll see you later. Take care, Shinji."

"Yeah. See ya'."

With that goodbye, the silver haired boxing champ made his way out of the area, leaving his dear friend with the same thugs in the corner. Some were throwing their chips and cards in defeat while others were yelling out threats and insults.

Shinjiro sat up against the closest brick wall next to that unforgettable spot, staring at it intently until the need for sleep had overpowered his clouded conscience. Yet, as he drifted off to sleep, he couldn't erase a certain emotion he was feeling, a sensation that helped rid his mind of his usual guilt. This sentiment was beyond description, but he was able to connect the feeling to yet another indescribable notion.

A part of him was looking forward to Monday.

_**Author's note: **__Well, I finally finished my first chapter. Something was bothering me, though, as I was creating this story. Throughout the game, you see Shinjiro always at the spot where Ken's mother had died, but where does he go after that? Since he's not living at the dorm with the others until later, I always wondered where he would go at night, so I gave my best guess._

_I'm still curious, though... *sigh* the amazing mysteries of Persona 3 are so, well, amazing. =D_

_By the way, I don't really remember what Fuuka and the protagonist tried making the first time they cooked together, so I went with sweet fries. For all you diehard, all-knowing Persona 3 fans out there: Sue me if I'm wrong! Jeez (Don't really sue, please, for those who are very literal and can't understand a joke like Akihiko. HAHA…) I'm just kidding, Aki! 3_

_But seriously, Shinji. If you didn't have a place to stay, you could've asked me… hehehehe XD_


	2. Chapter 2 Confrontation

_~~Author's Comments~~: Well, this is my second chapter to my first Persona 3 fanfic, and I can't believe how fast I wrote it. It may have something to do with the comments I got as motivation. After just a day of being posted, I received a couple comments saying they liked the work, and I was completely shocked. I know I'm absolutely weird for acting surprised, but I've never had my work liked by someone else, mostly because I've never showed anyone my writing before. O_O_

_But no longer will I feel that way! So a big thanks to those who commented with support. You've made my day! _

_But enough of my boring intro! Let's get to the story already! -__**I do not own any characters or any part of the storyline to Persona 3**_

_(I'm not sure if I have to mention this in every chapter, but better safe than facing the wrath of Atlus.) ~~o~~_

* * *

><p><em>Chapter 2: Confrontation<em>

August 31-After school-Classroom

The weekend went by as usual, "usual" meaning spending time studying by day and going to Tartarus and killing countless shadows and summoning my Persona by night. You know, your _typical_ day of an _average_ teenager.

Today was a new day, though, and ironically enough, I was excited. I hated Mondays—they were the beginning of a six day week full of stress, a day where I wish I could just crawl back in bed or ask Misturu-senpai if I could start being home schooled. Yet, I woke up right on time, came to school earlier than expected, and was looking forward to today's class to be over.

Because today was Monday, and there would be a cooking club meeting after school.

I couldn't give you a straight answer as to why I was looking forward to this club. It wasn't because I was flustered, embarrassed, or disappointed in my answer; I just couldn't explain why I was yearning to spend another day watching Fuuka try to cook.

But as the final bell cut through my questioning, nothing else mattered but getting to Home Economics.

"Hey, Minako-chan. Class was so boring today, wasn't it? Would you want to—_woah_!" I unknowingly dashed past Yukari, clutching onto my books so they wouldn't fall as I traveled through the mass of students. I felt bad for just leaving her behind once I realized it was her, but I _was_ in a hurry. Cooking comes first before friends, right?

_What the hell am I saying?_

"I'm really sorry. I'll see you later!" I finally shouted as I nearly took a nose dive out the door.

"What is with that girl today?" Yukari mumbled. She didn't take much offense to Minako running off like that since she was always in a hurry, but today she seemed different.

"Oh, Minako-chan? She's off to the cooking club," Junpei announced as he walked up beside Yukari, wearing that big grin on his face. "Yamagishi told me she joined last Saturday."

"But why is she in such a rush to go there?"

Junpei just shrugged in his usual, carefree manner. "Maybe there's something about cooking that makes her want to go back for more?"

"Oh well. I wanted to walk home with her today, too. It's boring walking home alone."

"H-Hey, I'm free today. Wanna' walk home with me, Yuka-tan?"

"Ha, you're kidding, right?"

"N-No, really I do. Can you—Yuka-tan, wait!"

Yukari ran ahead to the exit laughing, continuously looking back to see Junpei trailing behind her indecisively.

Meanwhile: School Lobby

"Okay, so I went to the library, returned my books, and now I'm on my way…" I muttered as I scurried across the second floor hallway, hurrying down the stairs. While I continued to power walk, I wondered whether that senior guy would be there. Fuuka said he always skipped class, but he wouldn't skip a club meeting, right? It's not like I cared if he showed up or not; I just thought it would be better if another person was there to help Fuuka.

I mentally applauded myself for maneuvering through the swarms of students without tripping, dropping my books, or bumping into anyone. I was already on the first floor, and the Home Economics room was just around the corner.

As well as a giant wall blocking my path. How predictable.

Like you would see in any other school collision scene, my body crashed against a sturdy figure in one swift movement. My books tumbled to the floor one after another, the hollow sound of them falling reverberating throughout the halls. By the sounds of a diminutive groan other than my own, I realized that wall blocking my way was a person. I frantically picked up my books, my face now hot and burning with embarrassment. It was my fault for daydreaming, so there was no need to get too angry.

"What the hell! Watch where you're going you son of a—oh god!"

Through my rage and cursing, I looked up to see Akihiko Sanada holding out one of my books for me to grab, the sudden crash of a girl slamming into his body seeming to have no effect on him. He gave an amiable smirk in response to my shocked reaction.

"Senpai!" I picked up my belongings and stood at attention, staring straight ahead at his chest rather than looking up at him. I could feel his eyes looking down at me, though.

I felt the warmth of his glove pat the top of my head, his fingers running through my hair. "Hey there," he said, sounding happy that he ran into me. "Now, what were you about to say before you realized it was me?"

"I'm really sorry. I'm just zoning out right now," I admitted shamefully. The last thing I wanted Akihiko to think was that I was a foul-mouthed junior who couldn't control her anger, even if it was kind of true.

He brushed my bangs out of my face before placing his hand in his pocket, his other hand keeping a firm grip on that black jacket that always hung across his shoulder. "I understand. I just hope I didn't hurt you."

I started staring at his shoes now, trying to hide my annoyance. I hated it when he constantly worried about my health. Every time we went out, that would be the first thing he would ask me. I can take of myself, thank you very much!

"Hey, if I can take a blow to the face from a shadow, I can handle running into a brick wall."

He broke out into laughter, but when I looked up at him I could see his face was bright red. He flashed his usual grin that honestly made my heart flutter. He had a _very_ nice smile, you know, in case I didn't mention that before.

"Listen, Minako-chan…I don't have practice today, so would you like to go somewhere with me?"

Just great. The situation was getting even worse, and the choices made it seem impossible to decide. Did I want to go to the cooking club or go on a date with Akihiko Sanada, the senior boxing team captain?

The answer seemed to be so obvious that it was screaming at me in my head, and yet I was hesitating. If that wasn't bad enough, it was getting really warm in the hallway, but that was probably from the fierce, raging fire coming from behind Akihiko.

"Well, won't _they_ get mad?" I asked, tilting my head in the direction behind him. A group of fan girls set their sights on me, their abstract daggers trying to pierce me with all their might. I could only imagine the thoughts about me going on in their tiny, Akihiko-obsessed heads.

He didn't even bother to turn around, but his sudden, solemn stare meant he knew what I was talking about. "I don't care about what they think, and neither should you. So go out with me."

His request was so simple yet demanding, the kind of demanding that made him so hard to resist.

So then why was I trying to think of an excuse to reject him?

"Akihiko-senpai…"

"I want you to just call me Akihiko, remember?" He reminded.

"Akihiko," I repeated. I didn't feel any different from saying it like that, but I could tell it made him happy. "I would really love to go with you, but there's a cooking club meeting going on right now."

"I see." His teeth grazed his pale bottom lip, his narrowed eyes looking away from me. Great. I just rejected a date with the most incredible, talked about guy in school for cooking club. I felt like an idiot.

It was only moments later, though, that he bounced back from the rejection, showing off that heart throbbing smile of his. "I understand."

He really was amazing.

"Okay, see ya'!" I tried my best to maneuver past him to avoid any more delay, but I quickly stopped at the gentle tug of my body. His leather gloves embraced my arm in a benevolent grasp.

"You have to promise me that we'll go out the next time we see each other, though."

I was at a complete loss of words. What else could I possibly say? "O-Of course. I'll talk to you later, Akihiko!"

I caught one last glimpse of his excited grin before running down the hall, effectively deflecting the last attempts of catapulted daggers from his fans. I couldn't tell whether they were angry that I talked to him or that I was crazy enough to decline his date invitation. Seriously, didn't they have someplace else to be than always around him? I can only imagine what they're going to do next year without someone to stalk.

But anyways, I felt nothing but excitement as I approached the Home Economics room. I blew off a date to come to this place, so I was hoping that it would be worth it.

I opened the door to see Fuuka gazing at the bowl in front of her. Right beside her was Shinjiro. He was pouring in all sorts of ingredients and explaining the directions to her quietly. As his eyes met my stare, I noticed him wearing dark green gloves with a light yellow apron on top of his pea coat. A look of sheer humiliation swept across his face once he noticed my amused smile.

Oh yeah, it was well worth it.

* * *

><p><em>Perfect. Just perfect. <em>

Shinjiro cursed himself for letting Fuuka talk him into wearing this. She was wearing cooking clothes, too, but hers looked a lot less embarrassing, her white apron seeming to compliment her pink gloves. He could tell by that girl's menacing smile that this wasn't going to be a good day.

"Minako-chan!" Fuuka said excitedly, looking in her direction.

"Hey…Fuuka," she managed to get out in between suppressed snickering.

"What the hell are you laughing at?" He hissed.

"Isn't it obvious?"

_Why did I even bother coming here today? What a pain in the ass…_

"Do you want an apron, too, Minako-chan?"

She made her way to the counter and set her books down, not once looking away from Shinjiro. "That's okay. I think I'll just watch today. I am a new member, so I've got a lot to learn. Right, senpai?"

He did his best to ignore her constant mocking. He focused intently on what was in front of him, blocking out all noise._ All I have to do is make these damn sweet fries and I'm out of here._

"Senpai, you're not giving me any directions," Fuuka pointed out, taking note of his sudden act of silence.

"Oh." He looked up from his trance to see her staring at him. _Again_. Her look was taunting him, waiting for him to say something. One mistake and he knew she'd make fun of him. "J-Just write down what I'm doing, okay? And I said to bring me vegetable oil, not vinegar!"

"Right! I'm sorry, senpai. Let me fix—whoops."

Before she could even finish the sentence, her shaking hands tipped over the vinegar, spilling it all over the counter. Shinjiro continued working, though, with a deadpan expression.

"Just please clean it up," he mumbled. He looked up for just a split second for clarity, but he saw that, angrily yet unsurprisingly, she was _still_ staring at him, this time covering her mouth and leaning against the counter. _That's it._

"You got something to say to me?" He barked, throwing down his measuring cup.

Her eyes widened as if she was shocked, but her smug smirk looked as if she was waiting for him to ask. "Yeah. Yellow brings out the color in your eyes quite nicely. It's cute."

_Cute? _"You gotta' be kidding me! Don't you have anything better to do than make fun of me?"

"You want me to be honest?"

"U-Um, Minako-chan! Could you please help me clean up?" Fuuka asked apprehensively.

"Don't even bother," the ill-tempered teen muttered under his breath.

"What's your problem, senpai?"

"What's _your_ problem?"

"Um, never mind." Fuuka felt completely hopeless in this situation. The two stood like statues as they stared each other down, and she could almost see the electrifying battle sparks shooting back and forth in their eyes. The only thing separating them was the cooking counter, and she couldn't have been more grateful for that.

Shinjiro tore off his gloves one after the other, slamming them down on the floor and quickly untying his apron.

"Senpai, where are you going? We're almost done!" She called out one last time in an act of desperation to stop the hard-headed senior. "

"I'm done for today. I'm sick of this crap."

"What do you mean by that?" Minako asked demandingly. He did his best to ignore her and threw the apron to the ground, walking out of the room. "F-Fine! See if we care that you leave, jerk!"

_How the hell is she the leader of S.E.E.S? _He thought as he continued to give her the cold shoulder.

"Oh, hey Shinji. I was just about to leave. Um, Shinji?"

The infuriated senior unknowingly brushed past Akihiko in an act of complete rage, but soon turned to face him at the sound of his name. "Let's get the hell out here," he yelled.

"Okay, but didn't you have cooking club to—"

"Not anymore! Let's go before—"

"Hey senpai!" A high pitched scream stopped the seniors from running down the hall together. Both turned to see Minako standing ahead of them furiously, one fist balled up while the other held Fuuka back from dragging her in the room. "You forgot your lovely apron!"

Akihiko sneered. "I didn't know you had one of those…"

"I don't!" Shinjiro snapped. "I-It's not mine!" He shouted down the hall, making sure his voice overpowered hers. With that said, he stomped towards the exit again. The cool senior followed behind, continuing to pest him about the apron. The only sound left was their footsteps and the echoing sound of the slamming door.

"It's nothing," he finally said after calming down, speeding up his pace. His mind was too clouded to think at that time, but he made a mental note that he would have to pick up his cooking attire before the next meeting.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Author's note<strong>__: What's wrong with a guy wearing an apron, huh? I personally think it would look awesome on Shinji, but I wanted him to get angry because it would show how he didn't want to look stupid in front of Minako. He was a lot more self-conscious than annoyed by Minako's laughter, if anything. _

_Shinji also doesn't like being called cute, too, if you didn't already notice. _

_Also, when you're playing the game, Minako really doesn't look like the type to get angry and curse without thinking, but I wanted her to have that type of personality in the story to show how compatible she is with Shinji. I must say, those two are cute when they clash, even though I think Shinji is better with me. ^o^_

_I've noticed how short each chapter is when I upload it to this site. It's about seven pages on a Microsoft document, but it looks like it is only three pages long on here. Regardless, I'll try my best to write 20 pages next time! *scribbling in my notebook.* Crap, I'm going to need a lot more paper then to plan this out… _


	3. Chapter 3 A New Addition

_**~~~~~AUTHOR'S SUPER, AMAZING, AWESOMELY AWESOME NOTE**__~~~: I'm just kidding. The note isn't that amazing. Sorry if I disappointed you guys._

_ANYWHO, I'm doing things differently now. Yes, differently. Is there an echo in here? Maybe it's just me._

_That's right. I'm taking some advice as a new author and writing this chapter in 3__rd__ person, and maybe even from now on (I'm not sure yet.)_

_Goodbye, Minako-chan narration. D-Don't get upset! I'll just give you a lot of internal dialogue instead! And it's only for this chapter, so stop looking at me like that, dammit!_

_Oh, you didn't think I talked to the characters in my work? Well…aren't you glad you know now?_

* * *

><p>Chapter 3: The New Addition<p>

September 2-Wednesday-Gekkoukan High-Lunchtime

"That stupid, no-good, rotten—"

"Um, Minako-chan?"

"Rude, inconsiderate, sensitive…"

"Minako-chan!"

"What is it, Fuuka?" Minako yelled spontaneously, snapping out of her rant.

"You've been complaining about him ever since Monday."

"So?"

Fuuka exhaled softly, making sure not to show how annoyed she was with her friend's constant bickering. "Can we talk about something else?"

"I'm sorry, Fuuka. He just really burns me up, you know? He's so quick to anger, he's annoying, he always skips class, he always wears that dumb beanie, and—"

"You're still talking about him."

"Oh, um…Sorry."

She gave Minako-chan a troubled look. "Does this mean you're not coming to cooking club anymore?"

"Oh, I'm still going." She should have been relieved to hear that, but her leader's menacing smile concerned her. "Will _he_ still be going?"

"I'm not sure. He seemed pretty upset last time, but you never know what Shinjiro-senpai might do." Fuuka couldn't act as though she knew him all that well. They weren't as close as he was with Akihiko, and they've only spoken a couple of times in between cooking when he wasn't yelling at her for messing up. "But that's not what you should be worried about. A full moon is coming on the 5th, and I want to make sure we're all focused, okay?" she felt bad for reminding her. It's not like she didn't believe in her leader's amazing skills; she just didn't want a boy to get in the way of her concentration.

"Of course! Don't worry, Fuuka. I'm 100 percent focused!"

"That's good to hear." She gave Minako a warm smile. She was glad that she could count on her to always keep her head in the game.

"Yeah, I'm perfectly fine. In fact, I'm so focused I could— what the?"

On second thought…

Minako looked out of the corner of her eye to see a figure in a burgundy pea coat run up the stairway to the roof of the school. She was losing her focus again, but she knew she could spot that pea coat from anywhere.

_It's him!_

Fuuka sighed and turned around to see Shinjiro disappear up the staircase. "Oh, he's probably just skipping again," Fuuka said impassively. "I heard that even when he does come to school, he goes up on the rooftop when he doesn't want to go to class."

"That's so like him."

Minako couldn't believe her next move. It was as if her body was acting on its own, and she involuntarily found herself walking towards the stairway.

_Bad body! What the hell do you need to go see him for?_

"Minako-chan, you're not going up there, are you? Lunchtime is almost over," Fuuka said uneasily.

"Y-Yeah, just tell the teacher I'm at the nurse's office, okay?" She couldn't believe what she was saying. She never skipped out on class before, and she certainly didn't want to start doing it now to see that jerk.

So then why was she so eager to go see him?

Fuuka was desperately trying to call out to her, but she couldn't hear over the bell. She hurried up the stairs before any teachers caught sight of her, and her mind raced wildly as she tried to anticipate the kind of argument that waited for her on the roof.

When she got to the roof, she immediately saw him. He was already lying on his back motionlessly on one of the benches, staring at the vast, clear sky. Her insides were aching uncontrollably, and she couldn't stop shaking. It's not like she was nervous or anything. She wasn't sure what to say to him. He looked so at ease that she almost wanted to leave him alone.

_Come on. Just go over there and annoy him like you usually do! _

Easier said than done.

* * *

><p><span>Rooftop<span>

"What's the point in coming to school if you don't even go to class?"

_I know that voice...Crap, not her again._

His moment of tranquility was cut short by that familiar, nagging tone. He sat up on the bench and looked to see Minako walking towards him. "I could ask you the same question. What are you doing up here?"

"I came up here because I saw you skipping again."

"So what if I am? You came here to join me?" He asked, avoiding her stare as she placed herself right beside him.

"No! I came up here to tell you to go back to class."

"How sweet of you."

"It wasn't supposed to be sweet!"

He tried his best to hide his grin. He couldn't explain it, but he felt a jolt of excitement whenever he pissed her off. "I came here to talk to Aki during lunch. I didn't feel like walking all the way to Hagakure afterwards, so I came up here instead."

"I see. So what were you talking to Akihiko about?"

Shinjiro grunted in irritation. Why did this girl need to know everything about him?

"Are you dating him?"

"Wh-What? Why would you say that? Did he say that? Of course we're not dating!"

"Then it's none of your business what we talk about."

He could tell that _really_ pissed her off. He knew just by looking at her reactions that she was the kind of girl that hated not knowing anything, whether it regarded her or not.

And he usually hated those kinds of girls.

"I just wanted to know, okay? Akihiko's my friend, too. "

"Friend, huh?"

"Yeah, he's my friend! Nothing else." She yelled in his ear, almost sounding defensive.

"Okay, I get it!" He cringed from her loud voice and decided to lie back down again, making sure his long legs didn't get in her way. He made sure not to tell Akihiko about what she just said. It would ruin his confidence.

"So, you're gonna' stay up here with me for the rest of the day?" He inquired.

"You want me to?"

"Why would I want you to stay?" He growled. Shinjiro would never admit it to anyone, but he actually _was_ enjoying her company. It was nice to have someone with him other than Akihiko. He quickly changed the subject, though. "So, how are the other members of SEES doing?"

He was still looking up at the sky, but her sharp intake of breath and inability to speak a sentence without stumbling made it clear that she was absolutely shocked.

"I-I have no idea what you're talking about? Wh-What's a "SEES", anyways? Is that a…a new band? A new show? A new—"

"Give it a rest already," Shinjiro hissed, finally stopping the paranoid brunette from making an even bigger fool of herself. "I'm good friends with Aki, remember? Of course I know about your group. I know about everything…"

"Even the Dark Hour?"

He sat up again and nodded, his expression seeming almost grave.

"And you have a Persona?"

"Yup."

She exhaled with relief, but his gloomy face didn't change. "I used to fight shadows with Aki and Mitsuru," he admitted.

"Really? I had no idea! Why doesn't anyone tell me this stuff?" She complained. He looked down at the concrete ground and smiled. Her excited reactions seemed to lighten the stress of talking about his past.

"I quit a little while after joining. It was a long time ago and I wasn't that great, so it probably wasn't worth mentioning to you when you joined." He had to lie to her a little bit. All Akihiko would ever talk about was how he was apparently, "as important to the team as he was", or some other spiel about how he was a benefit to the team. He hated hearing it, mostly because Shinjiro himself didn't think it was true.

"So, why'd you quit?" She asked humorously, nudging him in the shoulder with her own. "You got jealous of Akihiko being stronger than you or something? Or maybe you just couldn't keep up with them, huh? Come on, say it!"

"I killed someone."

A thick tension filled the air as both became quiet. Words couldn't possibly suffice for what he had just told her; nothing she could say would be an adequate response after hearing such an awful thing. He felt her inch away from him on the bench. She was afraid of him now like everyone else. She couldn't possibly bounce back after that.

And yet she somehow did just that.

"Oh, I see. So you ran away?" She finally spoke after the long pause between them. He was in utter alarm. How could she say something like that?

"What did you say?" He said in a low voice. He thought he could have been hearing things.

"You ran away, didn't you?"

"Who the hell do you think you are to tell me that?" He shouted defensively. He was glaring at her now, a look of absolute fury that he had never expressed around her before, but she continued to look down with a grim expression. "You don't know _anything_ about me, so what the hell gives you the right to preach to me?"

"You're right. I don't know you, but even an idiot could see that's what you did." She finally looked up at his enraged face, refusing to back down from the argument. "You quit right after you killed this person, right? That sounds a hell of a lot like running away to me. You were too afraid to continue fighting because you thought you would do it again."

He stood up abruptly now, his fists clenched in contempt. He tried gritting his teeth to hold back anything he might regret saying, but the emotion just seemed to flow right out of him. "You have no idea what kind of burden it is to deal with that! You _really_ want to know why I skip school? It's because I'm too busy staring at that damn spot where it all happened. Now, tell me how that's running away!"

"You're just escaping from reality! You made a huge mistake back then, so you go to that spot every day and think about what you could have done to save that person. Am I right?"

"Well, don't you just have all the answers in the world, huh?"

He couldn't believe he was having this conversation with her. Come to think of it, he couldn't believe he told her about his past to begin with. She was just some annoying girl to him, so why did he feel compelled to tell her everything?

He sat back down on the bench, this time as far away from her as possible. He was emotionally exhausted after what just happened. In fact, he had been emotionally exhausted ever since the day he lost control and took a life. He had committed a crime that could never be erased from his memory, and this girl had the nerve to tell him off.

"You're right, though," she finally said. He could feel her eyes watching him, but he couldn't stand the sight of her at the moment. He wanted to just run down the stairs and get as far away from her as he could like he did the other day, but something was keeping him from leaving. "I may never know how it feels to have a burden of killing someone, but I've experienced the death of loved ones before."

"Coping with a death of another is nothing compared to causing it."

"I know, but it still hurts to think about it. It was nearly ten years ago, but I still remember the police telling me that both my parents were dead. They claimed it was a car accident. I couldn't give you stories about my childhood because it's all a blur to me. I never remembered the feeling of my mother and father's embrace; I can't even remember their faces."

"So why are you telling me this?" He questioned impatiently.

"Because you're not the only one in life that has to go through pain and suffering! Everyone comes across misfortune, but we can't all just hide and push away people that try to help us. I know it's hard, but _life_ is hard in general. Life is a process of trial and error, and the only way to get through that process is to live through adversity. You can't just live in the past."

He scoffed at her attempts of logic. He remembered hearing the same thing from Akihiko about living in the past. He hated thinking about the past, but he couldn't just forget about it.

_But then again, maybe there are people who have it worse than I do_.

He couldn't believe he was actually considering what she was saying. He couldn't stand her constant nagging and lecturing, but maybe she did have a point.

"Tch. Since when did you become a damn preacher?" She laughed a bit from his remark. It was the first light hearted thing he had said after their whole argument. He couldn't describe the feeling he had right now, but he felt lighter now.

"Well, I do talk to a drunken monk at the club, so maybe he's rubbing off on me…"

"W-Wait, a drunken what?"

"Um, never mind that. Look, I'm sorry for being a bit of an ass to you. Dealing with something like that isn't easy." That was the first time she had apologized to him for anything. This moment between them was actually a first for a lot of things. It was the first time they actually sat down and had a serious conversation, the first time they saw each other outside of the cooking club, and the first time he was able to tell someone else about what happened.

"Don't worry about it. Hell, if anything, I was more surprised than angry. You're the first person that didn't pity me." He hated it when Akihiko always came around him and grieved when the incident first happened, and he knew by Mitsuru's hesitant nature around him that she felt sorry for him as well. This girl was the first person to ever give him the truth instead of giving him half-assed remorse. He was finally able to understand what he was feeling now.

_I'm relieved. That's exactly what I've been feeling after I told her. _

"Thank you, Shinjiro-senpai."

He scooted a bit closer to her. "That's the first time you've said name without being sarcastic."

"Yeah, I think it sounds better with sarcasm, don't you think?"

"No!"

The two had finally shared their first smile together, a smile that finally wasn't as a result from the pleasure in making one another miserable.

"Well, I've got places to be, so I better get going," he said, sounding almost discontented. She simply nodded, swaying her legs back and forth in a lighthearted manner.

As he walked away, he couldn't resist turning back around and giving her a malevolent smile. "Oh, and about that conversation between Aki and I…"

Her face immediately lit up in anticipation, her hopeful eyes looking into his. He had to admit, she looked her best when she was excited or happy.

"Let's just say you'll find out about it soon enough."

"Wait, why can't you tell me about it now, though?"

He looked away from her again. "Heh, don't be so impatient. It makes you more annoying than you already are."

He walked away before even giving her a chance to rebuke, and he could nearly feel the flames of her rage shooting at his back.

Then again, she looked just as good when she was angry at him, too.

* * *

><p><span>Evening-Dorm<span>

"Hey, leader!" Minako could point out that cheerful voice from a mile away. She looked up at Junpei with a slight smile as she arrived at the dorm. Yukari was sitting next to him on the couch while Fuuka was typing away at her laptop in one of the chairs. Ken was standing around comfortably and greeted her with a smile as she walked in. "I heard you skipped class today," Junpei added. "That's pretty awesome if you ask me!"

"I'm sorry they didn't believe the nurse excuse I gave them," Fuuka said, peering up from her computer.

"You really skipped, Minako-chan?" Ken inquired. "I didn't think our leader could be such a rebel!" He said, sounding impressed.

"Don't admire me for it, Ken!" Minako scolded. "I'm not proud of it. Don't be like me, okay? That goes for you, too, Junpei. You two better not follow me as an example."

Junpei just kicked back his feet on the lounge table in a casual yet ill-mannered behavior with his hands crossed over his head in a relaxed position. "Yeah, okay."

"Ha! Junpei would skip class even without using you as an example," Yukari mentioned, looking up from her magazine. She stopped where she was reading and swatted it against Junpei's legs, forcing him to take his feet off from the table.

"Come on, Yuka-tan, I'm not _that_ bad! When's the last time I ever skipped?"

Minako planted herself on the nearest sofa next to Koromaru, the white dog resting peacefully beside her. "Yeah, Junpei does come to class," she started saying. "He just doesn't pay attention, which is practically on the same level as skipping."

"Not you, too. Come on, Minako-chan!"

The three girls and Ken laughed with their teammate, and Junpei couldn't help but smile as well. He'd never made so many girls, and one kid, laugh at once, even though they were laughing at him for being a slacker.

"Well, I see our leader has finally made it back from her detention."

Everyone gave their respected silence as Mitsuru Kirijo came down the staircase of the dorm. Minako was especially silent, considering how she had to hear Mitsuru's lecture about her responsibilities of being a leader after she got caught for skipping. Her ears had still hurt just by thinking about it.

_Damn that stupid Shinjiro. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have had to skip class and get detention in the first place…_

"I would like everyone to please report to the Command Room. We have something to discuss."

"Sweet. Meeting time!" Junpei nearly jumped off the couch, stretching out his arms. "You coming, Yuka-tan?"

"Yeah, Yeah. I'm so exhausted after my club practice this morning. Will you help me up?"

He didn't need to be told twice. He complied rather quickly and grasped her hand in his, pulling her up off the couch. They quickly let go of each other's hands, though, and began walking up the stairs, beginning to bicker with each other about something along the way.

"You can come, too, Koro-chan." Koromaru lifted his body from his napping position and ran towards Fuuka's side, almost instinctively knowing to go up to the fourth floor. Ken had followed beside Fuuka, petting the Koromaru and praising him for being such an amazing dog.

"Where are Akihiko and Aigis?" Minako questioned Mitsuru. She could still tell that she was angry at her for going against the school rules, but the ice empress couldn't just ignore her. "They're upstairs waiting for us. We have a new addition to our forces."

"A new…member? What is she like?"

"_He_ is very strong and reliable, but you'll see for yourself."

_Yes. Finally, another guy!_

Minako hurried up the stairs with no more questions, Mitsuru following behind her. It's not like she didn't enjoy the company of all the girls at the dorm; she just wanted to meet a tough, trustworthy guy that wasn't a pervert like Junpei, wasn't an overly logical muscle head like Akihiko, and wasn't a young kid like Ken. Her heartbeat only quickened the more she thought about him.

_I have it all planned out: I'll greet him ever so nicely and maybe even shake his potentially strong, firm hand, his touch so electrifying that I would die a little inside from happiness! I'll introduce myself, ask for his name, and take him to Tartarus every night so we can grow closer. With the both of us as the greatest tag team of shadow-slayers SEES has ever witnessed, we would inevitably fall in love with everyone's support and live the happiest of lives together! And once we get rid of the shadows, we can finally concentrate on the fierce, undying romance that we would share every day, and then I'll—_

"Arisato, please watch where you're going," Mitsuru commented in a bothersome tone after Minako had slightly bumped into her. Little did she know that she was walking rather slowly and traveling in small zigzags as she maneuvered from each floor of the hall.

"O-Oh! I'm so sorry, senpai! I'm such a klutz…"

Mitsuru smiled faintly. "It's okay," she merely said, continuing to go up the last staircase before the Command Room.

Minako decided to pick up the pace and rushed up the stairs with athletic speed. Out of breath yet still determined, she ran towards the Command Room and pushed the door open, and she was relieved that it didn't turn out to be a situation where you had to pull the door open instead.

"H-Hello." She stammered from being short of breath, but she remembered to keep a warm, welcoming smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you! Welcome to S—what the hell?"

She stood dazed in the doorway as she looked at the boy sitting on the couch next to Akihiko. He wasn't a pervert, he wasn't a muscle head, and he wasn't a little kid. No, he was much worse than those three things combined.

He was Shinjiro. Shinjiro Aragaki.

"Well, hello to you, too!" He said mockingly, giving his typical, arrogant grin.

_Not again…_

* * *

><p><span>Evening-Command Room<span>

Of all the people in the world to join SEES, he just _had_ to be the new member. The least Mitsuru could do was tell her that he was strong, reliable, and an _ass. _That would have narrowed down the possibilities and save her from getting all excited for nothing.

"We have to stop meeting like this," he said in a snide demeanor, referring back to the first time when she looked disappointed at the sight of him.

"Wh-What at are _you_ doing here?" she asked, seeming to still be in a state of displeasure.

"Shinjiro is our new member," _Ikutsuki announced as everyone but Minako took a seat. _

_"Oh! I didn't know you had a Persona, senpai," Fuuka said, surprised that such a stern, cold, yet great cook like Shinjiro could be a Persona-user. Her shock was a lot nicer than Minako's, though._

"But you told me you quit!" She reminded him. "So why join now?"

He shrugged halfheartedly, resting his hands in his pockets and closing his eyes. "I have to take care of something, so I decided to come back. Besides, you told me not to run away anymore, didn't you?" _So that's what he was talking to Akihiko about. He was telling him that he was coming back._

"She told you that?" Akihiko inquired, sounding troubled. He had figured that the two had a thoughtful conversation with each other recently, and his reaction to it was as if he was almost jealous that she never talked to him like that. He wished he could get enough courage to actually just bring up a topic to talk with her about, considering how all their conversations where short and rather awkward.

"It's not like I told you to come back right this instant, you know!" She shot back at him. _It's bad enough I see you three times a week after school._

"Arisato, please sit down," Mitsuru spoke, her powerful, confident voice grabbing everyone's attention. Minako took a seat next to Aigis on the other couch. "Now, as you can see, we have a new member. As you all know, the next shadow with be on the 5th, so we need all the strength we can get. With that said, I'd like you to meet Shinjiro Aragaki. Please do you best to make him feel welcomed."

Everyone gave their proper greetings to Shinjiro, but he just nodded and looked away from everyone else. He hated too much attention, after all. He could see that Ken was the only one besides Minako that wasn't too thrilled about him joining. He gave him a weak greeting before looking over at Koromaru beside him, making sure not to make eye contact with the new member. He expected him to act like that, though.

"So, how do you two know each other?" Junpei asked, looking back at forth at Shinjiro and Minako with a curious grin.

"We're all in the cooking club together!" Fuuka answered.

"Oh, so _that's_ why you were in such a rush to get there the other day," Yukari said, winking at Minako.

"What? No, that's not it!"

"Yeah, they're just friends," Akihiko said, making sure to confirm that with everyone. She gave him an annoyed stare. _Why the heck would he care to make it a point that we're friends?_

"I think you're exaggerating a bit, Aki," Shinjiro mumbled.

"Oh really?" Minako said, sounding offended. She unknowingly shot up from her seat, clenching her fists. "If I'm not your friend, than what am I to you?"

"One big headache…"

She stomped her foot violently against the ground and groaned. "You're not funny!"

"It wasn't a joke."

She gave another low moan. "I can't _stand_ you!" She nearly grabbed her hair in an attempt to pull at it, but she soon stopped herself. There was no need causing herself pain when it was _him_ who deserved it. Well, not physical pain, of course.

"It appears that Minako-chan has acknowledged you as a threat. Therefore, you are now my enemy," Aigis announced in her chilling, monotone voice, standing up now beside Minako.

"You can't be serious," Shinjiro said, sounding more bothered than afraid. He had heard from Akihiko that she was an anti-shadow robot, but he had no idea she was so defensive of that girl. "Have you programmed her to hate me now or something?"

"Of course not, you idiot!" Minako snapped.

"Aigis, please sit down!" Fuuka called out desperately as she saw Aigis slowly walk towards him.

"Just sit down, Aigis. Please?" Minako said, placing herself back on the couch.

With that, the robot immediately obeyed. "Very well. For now, I shall remain seated," she stated, still looking at her new enemy.

"Well, that's pretty much it for the meeting. You are all dismissed for now," Ikutsuki declared, chuckling a bit at the machine's unnecessary threats.

"So, _leader_," Shinjiro spoke, standing up and stretching. "Are we going to Tartarus tonight? Or are you just gonna' sit there and sulk?"

"I-I'm not sulking! We all seem tired tonight, so we're not going."

"Everyone looks fine. You're just afraid to go with me."

"Who says I'm afraid?" Minako found herself standing up again in agitation. In just one split second, she went from being calm to getting angry again. "Is that some kind of challenge from you?"

"Maybe."

"Challenge accepted," Aigis proclaimed, standing up again as well.

"N-No Aigis, just sit down."

"…Very well."

"I'm far too busy to go to Tartarus tonight," Mitsuru mentioned. "Neither can Akihiko. You can come with us some other night, Shinjiro."

"Yeah, exams are next month, but it's a good idea for me to study earlier than I usually would. I have a feeling I won't have time to study later with my training schedule and everything," he added.

"Well, there you have it! We don't go to Tartarus without the both of them, so you can _challenge_ me another time."

"Fair enough. I can wait."

She stared him down one last time before making her exit, leaving the new member smiling to himself on the couch. Aigis gave one last serious look towards Shinjiro before following behind the hot-headed leader.

Minako eventually persuaded Aigis to go back to her own room instead of coming into hers, shutting the door behind her and collapsing on the bed. She had to think for a moment. _What way can I annoy the crap out of him now that he's here?_ She wanted to do something. To her greatest dislike, she would be seeing him a lot here from now on, and there's no way she could survive being with him without some entertainment.

And that's when she thought of it. She got up from her bed, getting an urge to literally pat herself on the back for being such a genius. The Dark Hour wouldn't be coming for another couple of hours, and she somewhere to be now.

"I'll give you a challenge," she whispered.

She grabbed her bag and headed out the door. Her next stop would be the Police Station.

* * *

><p><em>*Sigh* I should really be working on my AP summer work than writing all this fanfiction, but my love for Persona 3 burns much brighter than my not-so-strong-love for Beowulf or Jude the Obscure (It was a really good book, though.)<em>

_My next chapter will have some fighting in it, and I'm not the best at action sequences. It will take a lot more time to write. So, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!_


	4. Chapter 4 Awakening

_*******__******__ In the game, once you've acquired Shinjiro as a member, __**you wouldn't have explored such high floors in Tartarus**__ or be as strong at that point You only get to battle on floor 146 after Shinjiro's…well, you know. This chapter portrays otherwise. I wanted the group to specifically fight this floor boss for a reason. Call it a hint of symbolism if you want. I can bend the rules a bit since it's my fanfic._

_I also made Shinjiro exceptionally stronger than he would be if in the game for a reason, too. I always considered him to be the strongest out of the group when I played the game, so the scenes in here just mildly accentuate that belief. Oh, and in P3P, __**you couldn't use a**__**cadenza**__ with Orpheus, but I'm having her doing it willingly, anyways._

* * *

><p>Chapter 4: Awakening<p>

"So, how about it, Senpai? Can we go tonight? Please?" Minako stood in front of Mitsuru while she sat down reading her book, trying her best not to look up at the restless junior that was practically jumping with impatience in front of her. She thought that maybe if she just kept reading or remained silent in defiance, she would just give up and walk away, but that only made her try even harder.

Minako looked around the room for any type of support. Everyone was in the lounge tonight, even Shinjiro. It had only been a few days and he was already well accustomed to his old dorm, but she looked away in annoyance at the sight of him passed out on the couch beside Akihiko. How could he be sleeping at a time like this?

"I-I don't know, Minako," Mitsuru finally said, peeking up from her novel to meet her leader's eager eyes. She made a grave mistake, her gaze capturing the weary red head and preventing her from looking away. "I'm still so busy and, to be honest, you've already taken us to Tartarus enough this month."

"Yeah, I'm still pretty sore from going the other night," Junpei noted, looking up from his videogame.

"But the next full moon is in two days. _Two_ days!" she persisted. "Akihiko, you're able to go tonight, right?"

The boxing champ looked up from his bowl of noodles, messily slurping up the last bite as he fell into her keen stare. "Y-Yeah, why not? I guess it can't hurt to go one more time." When he thought about it, Minako had been paying many visits to the tower before Shinjiro had became a member. Even when they were exhausted, she kept them going. Now, after only a few days of recovering from her rigorous training, she wanted to go _again_. He didn't think it was a good idea, but how could he have said no to her?

She smiled cheerfully at her senpai's acceptance and enthusiasm, causing him to flush uncontrollably. That smile soon morphed into a grimace, though, when she looked back at Shinjiro next to him.

"Hey, you!" she said, loud enough to wake him out of his doze. "Help me out with this, will ya'?"

He slowly opened his eyes, muttering curse words and appearing grouchier than usual. He had finally found himself drifting to sleep after countless nights of tossing and turning. The last thing he needed was this girl pestering him out of his slumber. "Why would I help you?"

"Because you're the one who wanted to go to Tartarus in the first place! Or are you chickening out now?"

He admitted that much to himself. After two long, agonizing years, he wanted to get back into the battle as soon as possible. It was like a sick desire of his that had been swelling up inside him, a parasite that planted itself in his conscience.

"Fine. I'll go only if I'm guaranteed a spot in all the action," he said, rubbing his tired eyes and forcing himself against the temptation of drifting off again. He really couldn't explain why he was excited to go there. It wasn't because he missed fighting alongside Akihiko and Misturu, and it sure as hell wasn't because he missed summoning his Persona; something inside him was obsessive on going inside that tower instead of just stopping at the entrance. Maybe he needed to prove something to himself, an endeavor that he could only accomplish by stepping into that synthetic hell.

"That's what I'm planning on doing." She flashed her ominous smile at him before turning back towards Misturu. He was starting to reconsider his enthusiasm. Just what was she planning now?

"Alright, alright. I give up," Mitsuru said contentedly, throwing down her book and standing at attention. "We'll all meet at the entrance of Tartarus at midnight. I'll see you all there." She gave a firm nod at Minako glowing face. She still wasn't up for the task, but the passion of her leader seemed to ease her for the upcoming venture. She took off to her room, quickly going upstairs to regain some strength through rest. She felt she was going to need it.

"Well, I guess I can suck up the pain for tonight," Junpei said jadedly, getting up from his seat and strolling into the kitchen.

"That's the spirit, Junpei!" Minako encouraged. He wore his usual big grin at her before grabbing a bowl of noodles left in the fridge, joining Yukari, Ken, and Aigis at the lounge dining table.

"You should get some rest before we go, okay?" Akihiko mentioned thoughtfully, passing by Minako and patting her shoulder affectionately on his way towards the stairs. She gave a nod in affirmation, though her heart was set on a different task. She knew very well that resting would be the last thing she'd do before the Dark Hour came. There were much more pressing matters to attend to other than sleeping, and that very matter was in front of her. It just so happened to be staring her down, too.

_Wait, what is he doing?_

She looked up from her moment of plotting to see that Shinjiro was wide awake now, observing her while appearing to be deep in thought. Her eyes dashed in every other direction but him, but every time she looked back he was there, looking right at her.

"Can I help you?" she inquired finally.

"…Yeah."

That was his cue to stand up, his cold, silver eyes perpetuating the need to fixate themselves on her. He walked towards Minako and tugged at her arm, clutching the tiny figure in one strong hand and pulling her up out of the seat. She could do no more than scrutinize his intent glare, his grip tightening the more he looked at her. He seemed more curious than angry in her opinion, and his actions showed more desperation than hassle.

"Wait a minute!" she panicked, shaking her head in discontent at her assumption. "Sorry, but I can't help you with _that_. I mean, we just met!"

"Tch. Don't be stupid," he muttered indifferently. He snapped out of concentration to look behind him, noticing Fuuka cautiously peering up from her computer. She glanced down as a red blush covered her face once she met eyes with him. He knew that whatever he needed to take care of, he had to do it in private.

So he started dragging her out of the dorm, carelessly walking towards the door with her attempts at keeping up. To his prediction, she began struggling to break free from the brute teen, but he did his best to ignore the kicking and screaming along the way. He managed to dodge the glances from Fuuka and the others before yanking her outside and shutting the door behind him. It wasn't the smoothest way out, but at least they were away from everyone now.

Yukari looked up from her magazine in disorientation, looking at Junpei and Ken. "What just happened?"

"D-Don't worry about it. They're just…talking." Fuuka hung her head low and pretended to look busy in front of her laptop as she answered, averting any further questions from the others. _It's none of my business anyways, right? Shinjiro-senpai wouldn't do anything to hurt Minako-chan. Besides, Akihiko-senpai wouldn't let him do anything to her, so there's nothing to really worry about. But the way he grabbed her…oh, why am I still thinking about this?_

She shook her head sighed tiredly, closing the top to her computer and lying back against the chair. Minako could take care of herself when she was around him, but Fuuka admitted that she could sometimes go overboard with her temper. She just hoped that her senpai wouldn't be coming back inside with any severe injuries from her. It was her turn to cook tonight, after all, and she needed all the help from him she could get.

* * *

><p>He tossed her to the side as soon as he shut the door, releasing his grasp on her. In that same moment, he was getting ready to speak when a sharp sting smeared across his face. The slap connected loud and hard, though his uncontrolled grunt afterwards was louder.<p>

"Dammit," he growled, cowering away from the ill-tempered girl. He slowly touched the cheek where she had slapped him. That mark wasn't going away any time soon.

"Don't act so surprised!" She shouted, her white hands balled up into fists. "What's your problem? You can't just grab a girl like that and take her somewhere against her will! Do you have any idea what I was thinking when I was being taken hostage by a guy like you?"

He looked towards the door, avoiding her angry watch. He grew disturbed of her last sentence. What could she have meant by that? Just what kind of guy did she think he was, anyways? "Arisato, I didn't mean to-"

"I'm not done yet!" she interrupted quickly, inhaling deeply for the next round of protesting. "I can't believe you would just grab me like that in front of everyone. Oh, and don't even get me started on the bruise I might have from you. It kind of hurt, you know! What will I do if I have a serious injury? I won't be able to fight tonight. I won't be able to fight tomorrow night. Hell, I won't even be able to fight the next shadow. You're such a—"

Her voice was muffled by the warm palm cuffed against her mouth. Her murmuring became louder in reluctance, though it wasn't as strident as her usual voice. The relief of the silence brought Shinjiro temporary respite, but he knew it couldn't last forever.

"Will you _please_ be quiet? Honestly, what is wrong with you?" Come to think of it, he was asking himself the same thing. He used to wonder why this girl would bother talking to someone like him. Nowadays, he had been asking himself why _he_ would bother talking to someone like _her_.

He removed his hand in hopes that she would be a bit more relaxed, but her bright red face told him otherwise. "You're asking me? You're the one that kidnapped me."

"I didn't kidnap you," he mumbled defensively. He leaned against the door now, staring at the steps in front of him. Shinjiro could be accused of being a lot of things: a murderer, a rebel, and even a burnout. He wasn't about to add "high school kidnapper" to the list. That wasn't the thing that was bothering him, though. "How are you always able to act like this?" he finally asked.

Her face returned to normal color as she stood against the door as well. She was looking right at him, but he refused to do the same. "Act like what?"

"You know what. Are you really going to pretend nothing ever happened?" He swallowed, feeling that same bitter taste in his throat whenever he tried talking about it. "Are you just going to forget everything I told you?"

She looked up at the distorted sky, her hips swaying back and forth with her skirt while she contemplated. He groaned at the thought of her wavering conception of what he was talking about, slowly inching away from her.

"Are you serious?" he asked edgily, dazed by her obliviousness. Apparently, he was going to have to spell it out for her. "It only happened a few days ago." He lowered his voice, removing his back from the door and standing up straight. "You know, that conversation we had on the roof..."

"Oh. Yeah!" He scowled at her pleasure for remembering. Nothing could have been exciting about what he had told her, but he had no idea what went through that girl's head. "So, what about it?"

"I don't understand. How could you act so normal around me after everything I said?" He did his best to hide his annoyed yet troubled face from her when he spoke of it. He refused to show her any weakness, any sign of outrage. He didn't know why it was so hard to suppress the need to complain in front of her; he did that on a regular basis with everyone else. It was like a motto of his when he lived on the streets, a goal that he always achieved: never let anyone know what you're thinking.

"I told you I was okay with it, didn't I?"

He scoffed at her child-like impudence, taking a quick glance at her inquisitive stare before suppressing the angered expression that tried revealing itself on his face.

"How ignorant can you be?" he questioned, walking down the steps of the dorm porch. "I came right out and told you what I did, and you couldn't even do so much as flinch. Aren't you even the tiniest bit shocked?" He looked back at her, meeting eyes with a girl just waiting to blow her temper at him. He just needed to push the right buttons, controls that he surprisingly knew very well. It wasn't so much that he liked seeing her angry; he just wanted to see some type of emotion out of her that he could expect from anyone else. And while he was at it, maybe he _wanted_ her angry at him. That way, he wouldn't have to worry about leaving any unsaid emotions behind.

"Of course I was shocked, you idiot!" she shouted, stomping down the stairs predictably. She tugged furiously at his arm, forcing the two to meet face to face. "I just got over it, that's all. What do you want from me? You want me to cower in fear? Call you a monster? Or did you want both?"

"That would be better than just acting so calm about it," he replied, trying to stay collected. "Doesn't it even disturb you a little bit?"

He yanked his arm out of her control in attempts to turn away when she answered, but her small hands grabbed each collar flap of his coat and pulled him in towards her face. "Yes. It did." Her tone was suddenly as somber as her appearance, and two of them reflected each other's emotions. "But that's the price of trading away your innocence."

He clutched her frigid, shaking palms in his own, slowly caressing the fingers that dug into his coat. "What are you talking about?"

"I heard from someone awhile ago that giving into the Dark Hour is like trading away your innocence. You can't close your eyes and look away from what you don't want to see." She released her grip on him, involuntarily sliding her fingers between his. He seemed taken aback by it and tried to pull away, but the enlivening sensation he received overpowered his ethics. "I can't tell you why I wasn't as scared as I should have been; maybe it's because I go to Tartarus almost every night and _kill_ shadows. I know that's not that same as what you've done, but you said you were just starting out when it happened. It was just an accident, wasn't it?"

He was finally able to gain control and unlatched his fingers from hers, placing them back in his pockets. Her words clung to the thick air around him. Nothing could be more true than her depiction of entering the Dark Hour. He felt nothing but a flame of malice igniting his once blissful existence ever since he joined SEES, and that very fire only grew stronger after leaving. He would never be able to go back to the sappy days of him embracing a child in his arms as if he were her real brother.

"You just don't get it," he whispered sternly, coming out of a trance of painful nostalgia. "I can't control my Persona like you can. It may have been an accident, but it could very well happen again. If that happens, there's nothing I can do about it. That's why you can't be so carefree when you're around me, especially in battle."

"That's why you want me to be afraid?"

His forced silence told her that she was right. She folded her arms, laughing at his warning. "I think I can handle you just fine. If you or your Persona even _look_ at me the wrong way, Orpheus and I will take care of things."

"Of course you will," he said dryly. He was relieved by her overconfidence, but it wasn't her he was really worried about. He came out here just so he could give a warning, but he ended up being lectured by her instead. "You have to promise me you'll do that, then."

"Okay!" She smiled amiably at him and stuck out her pinky finger, waiting for him to do the same.

He stared at her in a daze, hoping that she wasn't serious. "Really? How old are you?"

"J-Just shut up and do it!" She grabbed his wrist and pulled him closer, wrapping her pinky around his and shaking it. She noticed that his hands were, of course, bigger than hers, but just by the grasp of his fingers she could tell they were tough and firm. Yes, they may have been the hands of a killer, but she also knew they could one day protect people, too.

She looked up to see his face was slightly flushed, his eyes trying to remain expressionless through his embarrassment. She had just realized how close they were, her face only inches away from his chest. The two gave each other the same look of panic before pushing one another away, both now standing a good distance away from the other with their heads hanging low.

"So, are you done whining to me?" she finally asked, slicing through the thick layer of discomfort.

He stared at the ground heatedly while moving pieces of gravel with his foot. She had a bad habit of pissing him off with her choice of words, though even he found himself complaining about his past more than usual. He used to give Akihiko crap for dwelling in the past all the time, but now he was acting no better.

"Sure. I guess I am." He figured that as long as he only did it around her, he could vent out his anguish while pushing away others in the end. She was like his diary that he could open up to, a diary that, in turn, talked way too much and tried her best to annoy him.

She stepped towards him again and wrapped her arm around his, noticing how unconvinced he was. "Stop expecting everyone to be afraid of you, Senpai. You're not as scary as you think you are."

"You're really something else, you know that?" he said after a heavy sigh. He removed his arm away from her, trying to distance himself. He wondered why she kept getting so close to him. He wondered why he denied knowing the answer to that. _She said she couldn't stand me, after all. And besides, Aki has already—_

"So, are we just going to stand out here all night?" She whined, cutting into his thoughts like she always did. "Let's get back inside already."

He gave a slight nod and went back up the steps, sensing her trailing behind him. "We're going to Tartarus still, right?"

"Of course!" She pulled at his arm again, forcing him to turn around and meet her devilish smirk. "And I got something for you, a 'welcome aboard' gift. You know, for when you go into the tower!"

With that, she returned to the dorm, leaving him behind in thought. He really didn't like the sound of that, but it seemed like just about everything she said left him guessing.

Before he went back inside, he grasped the bottle of pills in his pocket and shook it lightly, making sure he had enough for the upcoming week. The sound was as reassuring as it was agonizing. It didn't matter that she wasn't afraid of him; he was still afraid of himself. Even after taking the pills, he could still hear the demon screaming inside him. It had been like that ever since the night he lost control as well as his Persona's obedience. From now on, he just had to be the one to obey, not the other way around. Tonight, though, it would fight alongside him submissively, patiently waiting for the moment when his user would slip up. Only then could he prey on his weakness and take over again.

He just had to make sure that didn't happen, especially when he was around her.

* * *

><p><span>Dark Hour-Tartarus Entrance-F1<span>

"What the hell is this?"

As soon as everyone gathered together at the entranced, Minako immediately turned her attention to Shinjiro. He tried to avoid getting into another confrontation with her before entering the tower, but the site of a black and white fabric in her hands caught his eye. She happily held it out in front of him, appearing even more cheerful at his dazzled reaction. It was like a uniform of some sort, some kind of suit for a butler.

He yanked it out of her hands and unfolded it, staring in horror at the fancy monstrosity before him. "You gotta' be kidding me."

"Isn't it cute?"

"Hardly!" he shouted, throwing the outfit on the ground irritably. He turned to the side and rubbed his temples, ignoring Minako's persistence as she picked up the suit and tried shoving it back in his face.

"I'm trying to help you! This will help with your defense!"

"Right, and I'm sure that's exactly what you were thinking when you bought it."

"Of course!"

She waved the suit while speaking coaxingly, but he refused to take it. There was no way that he would let people see him in that. Hell, there was no way he would let the S_hadows_ see him in that damn thing.

"Yo, Senpai," Junpei hollered, overhearing the recent debacle between the two hard- headed teens. "Hurry up and put on your armor so we can explore Tartarus!"

Shinjiro shoved down the clothing only moments before having it placed unwillingly into his grasp. "I wouldn't exactly call it armor," he groaned. "Please tell me this is just some kind of sick joke."

"No!" Minako stomped her foot on the ground, trying her best to make a scene. He really sometimes mistook her for being _seven_ rather than seventeen. "I'm the leader, and I'm telling you to put this on or else you're not coming to Tartarus with us."

He inhaled quickly before getting himself further into a terrible situation. He couldn't believe he bent down and picked up his new _armor_, holding it far apart from him as if it was some kind of contagious creature. "Where the hell am I supposed to get changed?"

"You can change outside," she said, turning her back to him and waving her hand nonchalantly at the exit. "I'm sure the coffins won't mind."

With that said, he marched off in a fit, cringing at that smile of hers when she finally got her way. He hated how she was pushing him around all the time. He hated a lot of things about her, actually. He hated her arrogance, her thick-headedness, and her pushy attitude.

And he _especially_ hated this stupid butler outfit.

He returned from outside, rushing in to avoid the predicted stares and snickering from the others. He picked up his axe and rested it on his shoulders, staring straight ahead to evade anyone's line of vision. He constantly fidgeted in his new suit, trying to break in the tight clothing. Did she even stop to think how out of character this would make him look before buying it?

On second thought, she probably did.

He did his best to make Minako feel uncomfortable with his piercing glare as she walked over to him. "Don't you think you're abusing your power as leader just a little bit?" he asked through gritted teeth. Honestly, how was he supposed to maintain control in battle when he was wearing _this_?

"Not at all. You look so handsome," she acclaimed. She would have literally jumped from the excitement of seeing him in something other than that pea coat if it wasn't for a realization that made her roll her eyes. "Take off that beanie," she demanded bluntly, standing straight and reaching for it.

He snatched both her fists in a sudden tight grasp as they dared to move towards his head. "Don't even think about it," he warned. She could dress him up in the most ridiculous outfits as much as she wanted, but he would _not_ let her take his beanie.

"Things would be a whole lot easier if you just listen to our leader," he heard a voice preach from a distance as Minako struggled to break free. In a swift motion, someone had come up from behind and grabbed his beanie from his head. Shinjiro swung his body around in an instant with both fists tightened, ready to punch the lights out of whoever had the nerve to steal from _him_.

His body relaxed and he returned to his usual, displeased manner when he saw Akihiko, throwing down his hands reluctantly. He figured he could suck up his pride and wear this outfit for tonight, since it was better than getting pounded into the ground by a boxer. No use getting another blow to the face over a hat, anyways.

His dingy aura collided with Minako's blissfulness as he brushed past the two of them, stopping at the steps of the entrance. "Let's just get this over with."

She nodded in agreement, running alongside him towards the staircase. She ran at the very top, standing boldly as she looked down below at the others. "Okay! The new member is coming with us tonight." She momentarily scanned the room at her subordinates. "So, I want Ken and Junpei to come with us."

Shinjiro observed the responses of his other two party members. Junpei reacted in his normal, predictable manner, slightly pumping his fists in the air with the anticipation and excitement of summoning his Persona. It was true that the feeling was exhilarating, especially when someone first starts out. Shinjiro could even recall a sensation like that before he feared that beast inside him. The teen's excitement nearly gripped him in a montage of memories, his displeased frown twisting into a reflective grin.

Yet, that nostalgia was eroded by that same unwelcomed sense of fault when he turned to Ken. The boy's eyes were forced down at the ground, a film of unease clouding his face. He looked up at Minako with wide eyes, a look that seemed to try and find a justification of why his leader would punish him like this. He couldn't help but wonder the same thing, though he knew she was unaware of Ken's dormant disdain. Anyone could tell that the kid looked upset, his expression seeming to scream the words, "why me?"

Akihiko suddenly stepped forward, his face enveloped in anxiety. "Wait. Minako, I thought I usually went with your to Tartarus? Are you sure it's okay to make a change so suddenly?" He bit his tongue after his uttered his last words, cursing his obsessed desires that seemed to dominate his usually logical thinking.

Her once excited face started to wither. It wasn't like the calm and collected senior to reveal hints of resentment against her wishes, but she figured he wanted to get stronger as much as everyone else did. "I know you do," she said earnestly. "But we have a new member, and I want to see what he's like in battle."

"Shouldn't I still come with you, though?" The confidence in his tone died down when he caught glimpse of everyone staring. "I mean, you're so used to having me around." He gave another quick bite at the inside of his cheek, welcoming the sharp sting afterwards. It wasn't like him to challenge her this much.

"Don't worry. It's just for tonight. I haven't forgotten about you, Senpai!" Her warm smile was bittersweet in his eyes. He shook his head in agreement and looked away from her, vexation now replacing the bitterness. He couldn't understand why she was so formal with him, especially after he corrected her so many times.

His angered gaze mistakenly turned to Shinjiro. The petulant teen turned towards his comrade, trying to understand where that look was coming from. For the first time, the two friends had shared a look that was completely unreadable to the other.

"You all should be on your way now," Mitsuru reminded everyone. "The Dark Hour won't last forever."

Fuuka nodded with assertion, summoning her Persona in preparation. She looked toward Shinjiro once she was settled in, hoping for only the best for his first time back. "Good luck, Senpai!"

He made his way up the staircase with his teammates, making sure Junpei went up after Ken to avoid following behind him. With every step came a buried memory digging its way out and into his mind, memories that he tried his best to hide after leaving, mempries of him fighting shodows outside of the tower. The scurried tapping of feet against the hallow stairs only provoked these fragments of the past, almost as if serving as a bell to awaken his sleeping Persona.

_**At long last you finally return to fight. It's been quite a while, hasn't it?**_

He ignored the voice in his head and stood at the left side of his leader, firmly gripping the handle on his weapon as if to brace himself for the momentary blindness of the burst of light that poured out of the entrance when they proceeded.

"Be careful." Fuuka's final words from the outside echoed as a reminder of where he was going. He was stepping into darkness, a place that he had never been beyond the entrance. He was stepping into a place more dreadful than reality itself.

The light dimmed, revealing the blood stained floors where the creatures dwell.

He was stepping into hell.

* * *

><p><span>Tartarus-Floor 143<span>

There were two things that Shinjiro starting hating the most about fighting in Tartarus: the painful throbbing in his chest that came with the flashbacks, and the foul stench of carnage that filled his lungs.

Tonight, both seemed to be coming at him all at once.

"How does it feel to be back in the fight?" Minako asked him, looking straight ahead as they moved slowly across the floor. She couldn't have brought it up at a more terrible moment.

"I hate this shitty place, whether I'm inside or outside," he answered roughly.

For some reason, she smiled at his response. She glanced at him with that same expression of amusement, gripping her naginata securely. He didn't think his contempt for this place could be humorous, though he figured she was just smiling at his embarrassing butler suit.

She stopped in the middle of the hall, facing her teammates behind her. "Now listen," she stated. "Fuuka mentioned that our next big enemy is on the 146th floor. That's three more floors from here. With that said, I want you all to stay behind me until I give orders to attack."

He took note of how different her tone was when she took on the position as leader. It wasn't high-pitched or annoying like when she nagged him. In fact, her whole outlook had changed. She stood at a tall, poised stance with a stern expression, though her look would soften whenever she caught sight of him trying to loosen up the tight fit of his tuxedo. She was everything a leader should be in his eyes. _This must have been the girl Akihiko had talked so much about, the very girl that he always wanted to be around._

"There aren't a lot of Shadows on this floor," Ken noticed, looking around cautiously with his spear in hand.

"That means the Shadows we _do_ come across will be strong," Junpei commented, chuckling eagerly soon after. "Let's do this!"

"Right." Minako turned back around and preceded slowly, her teammates following behind. "That means we have to stay together and wait for me to—"

She jerked her weapon upwards and nearly fell back into Shinjiro from the surprise. Just a few feet away and around the corner lurked the long, slim arm of a Shadow. She could sense its energy just around the corner. It was powerful, just like a Junpei had expected.

"Okay, let's plan a sneak attack," she ordered in a hushed voice. "But make sure I'm the one in first. H-Hey, what are you doing?"

The temptation overwhelmed his character. Shinjiro stepped forward almost involuntarily and lowered his axe, ignoring the radiated fury exuding from Minako. The first sight of a Shadow in two years instantly ignited the battle instincts he had gained long ago, instincts that he learned outside of the tower. In a split second, the crimson eyes of the creature locked on to his own, the beat soon propelling at him with swift, avid speed. The scene had played out too many times for him to get careless, though. Simultaneously, he used massive force with one arm to arch back his axe behind him only to quickly catapult it ahead at the Shadow. The monster stopped in a feeble attempt at trying to dodge the axe, but its fate had soon been decided when it met eyes with its wielder. The axe collided brutally against the thick, glutinous body of the Shadow. The heavier force of a hurling object flung the creature against the wall with a resounding smack, slicing the shadow's body in half when it penetrated into the harder surface. A usual surprise attack would have just distressed an enemy, but this attack had killed it immediately, its remains dripping off the blade of the axe and leaving a pool of darkness.

"Woah. Man, Senpai, you're amazing!" Junpei praised, nearly dropping his katana. Even Ken seemed to be in a surprise at the sudden yet skillful kill, though he continued to look down at the ground without a word.

But of course, their leader was far from impressed.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" she yelled, yanking his arm towards her before he had a chance to pick up his weapon. The pull at the arm was soon accompanied by a harsh smack across the head.

"What did I do now?" he hollered back in alarm. He stepped back from the fuming girl with fear of another strike, rubbing his sore skull.

"That's for showing off!"

"Who said I was showing off? I saw the opportunity to attack and I went for it," he said calmly.

She threw down her weapon and grabbed him by the collar. "I told you to stay behind me."

"Look, you have your fighting style and I have mine. I don't do well when it comes to taking orders."

"I'm the leader, though!"

He frowned at her shrieking. He couldn't believe how much of a brat she could be at times, especially when she was in a place like Tartarus.

"M-Minako-san?" Ken said warily.

"H-Hey, don't get so upset, Minako. The Shadow's gone and that's all that counts, right?" Junpei stuttered. Shinjiro quickly snapped out of his heated argument to see both boys cowering in fear behind their leader. They seemed completely amazed at her sudden outburst, almost as though it was the first time seeing her so out of control. _Could I really be the only one to make her act like this?_

She finally looked away from him and picked up her naginata, forcing a smile towards Ken and Junpei. "Yeah, okay," she said, giving in to their panic. "But the next time we encounter a big shadow, I want you to stay behind me!"

He remained silent and waited for her to walk ahead. There was a sudden aching pain inside him as he walked, though, a presence that practically beckoned for departure.

_**That was very impressive, but how long can you continue like that before you need my help?**_

He had figured as much. It was yet another memo of the inevitable, a reminder that he really didn't have time for. All he could do was keep walking, hoping that he wouldn't have to resort to something like that tonight.

But venturing further into the depths of this hellhole was like toxic to his brain. The Shadows were surprisingly not even able to put a dent in him, but each and every grotesque and ridiculous form they took on next made him sick. They were much farther up in the tower than he had expected, but he knew that someone like her would want to explore as much as this place as possible regardless of her level. He was surprised that the gates were even opened, considering how they would only unlock to the next floors if the leader was strong enough. Maybe he just doubted her decisions because he felt _he_ wasn't experienced enough. It wasn't a wise idea to go so far ahead when she wasn't as strong, but he knew better than to tell her that. Besides, he remembered Fuuka saying how there was a lot more of the tower to explore. The battle to the top was becoming as extensive as it was tedious and irritating. At least at this rate, there would be no need to summon his Persona tonight.

That was until he reached those damn Hell Knights.

They stood valiantly in a pair of three, all sitting audaciously on their ominous, sinister horses. Their expression was unreadable, but by the way they raised their swords gave off a sense of hostility. The menace and aggression that emanated in their stance almost reminded him of Castor. Both went into battle with a horse as their guide, both gave off an immense power and severe strength, and both wanted nothing more than to rip him to shreds at the first sign of weakness.

_This should be interesting._

"Fuuka, analyze the enemy!" Minako called out as everyone took their places, switching back into her calm and focused leader role. He watched her observantly as she called forth her Persona. With a fearless shot to the head, a lengthy, sapphire dragon levitated in front of her. It bared its fangs at the foe, vigilantly staring at the knights with a deadly desire to tear them apart.

Without delay, Minako ordered the next move for it to make, and the majestic beast carried out the attack without hesitation. Shinjiro marveled in envy at the obedience of the Persona, though he made sure not to show it. With its eyes radiating to a vibrant gold, it unleashed an enormous force of swirling wind tunnels at all enemies. All three were engulfed in a barrier of wind, the scintillating green aura encircling their entire form. The knights were knocked back with the sudden attack, but not enough to deal out heavy damage or knock them down.

"It seems that wind attacks aren't enough!" Fuuka noted after the hit. "You'll need to rely on heavy strike attacks if you can use them. It doesn't take critical damage from magic attacks…"

"Just great," she mumbled in frustration. He could tell by looking at her that they were thinking the same thing: the enemy was a lot tougher than they expected.

Junpei had summoned his own Persona for a strike, but the creature shrugged it off, preparing for its own attack. With a fierce roar of its horse echoing through the silent halls of Tartarus, the beast charged at Junpei, the tip of its sword seeming to glisten vibrantly as it approached its target.

The pierce was as agile as it was lethal, and the fact that it was a critical blow only made the situation worse. Junpei's sharp yet diminutive groan hid his true agony, the blow causing him to crash down to his knees. He gripped his Evoker tightly as a means of coping with the pain, but the reality of the serious damage was far too great a burden for the boy.

"S-Someone please help Junpei-kun!" Fuuka insisted. Minako wasted no time in giving the signal to Ken, the worried boy summoning his Persona and using a diarama skill.

"This was a lot harder than you thought it would be, huh?" Shinjiro called out next to her. If anything, he said that in attempts to calm her down and help her face the reality of the situation, but her twisted face only revealed more loathing and irritation.

She turned to him with blazing eyes. "We're going to be fine!" she barked. He should have known that a girl like her would never admit to regretting a decision. She wanted to go all out with a battle, whether she would lament over it or not.

He went for an attack, thrusting his axe into the core of one of the beasts. It seemed taken aback at first, but soon regained a confident stance. _Dammit. This won't be enough, either. _He knew very well that there was only one option that would guarantee a victory.

But he couldn't give in just yet.

The battle raged on only to meet the same tiresome and frustrating outcome. Each teammate would inflict little damage with each turn, while the Hell Knight's ruthless attack left almost everyone hanging on a thin thread of life. Minako knew she rushed up the floors too quickly, but she wasn't about to give up. The gates had opened up to her to enter this floor for a reason; strategy was her best way out of this.

It was her turn to make a move, and everyone but Shinjiro was dangerously low on health. She switched her Persona to Orpheus, unleashing a cadenza to heal her nearly fallen party members. The spell worked, but the moment of rejuvenation was only a temporary relief. Another Hell Knight dealt in a heavy strike on the stubborn leader. Even as she braced herself for the impending assault, the pain seeped in through the crevices of her defenses. She collapsed almost instantly, hiding her desolate face from the others.

"A-Are you okay? Minako, please get up!" Fuuka's cry struck Shinjiro's instincts, bringing out the realization of the circumstances. The whole reason they were still in this battle was because he was holding back. He gazed absorbedly at the horrid sight of her stretched out tiredly on the ground. She wasn't unconscious yet, but she was barely able to stay alert, her fingers scarcely touching the handle of her beloved naginata. Ken and Junpei tried to make up for the heavy damage done to their leader, but their Personas weren't suitable enough and designed for severe slash attacks.

But _his_ Persona was.

It was coming to the point in time where he couldn't let fear tie him down any more. This situation was too much of a pain to just let his Persona stir inside him, anyways. He could feel the chill of the Evoker at his side as if it was signaling him to use it, beckoning him to finally release his nerves. He set his axe aside and placed one hand on the handle of the gun, grazing its smooth, frigid texture. His other hand reached in his pocket for the small bottle that always sat there, shaking it slightly. Even in a different outfit, he made sure to keep them with him at all times. The sounds of the pills tumbling against the plastic container gave him the comfort he needed. He already took his dose for the day, so he kept telling himself that he was ready.

It didn't matter if he was ready or not; it was his turn to attack. He quickly clutched the Evoker in his palm and shoved it against the side of his head. The cold sensation contrasted with the warmth of his skull, a feeling he could remember perfectly. He hesitated, analyzing his exact stance, concentrating on visualizing what it would look like when he finally pulled that trigger. He had done it so many times before, and his mentality was a lot stronger than it was back then. He didn't want to be fidgeting like this. Sweat continued to trickle down his face, racing towards his jaw line and plummeting to the ground. His fingers embraced the trigger now, preparing him for what would happen next.

_**Go ahead. Summoning me is the only chance you have at saving her.**_

For the first time in two years, he had finally listened to Castor's voice.

The loud shot resonated in his ears, the thunderous bang soon accompanied by Castor's booming call. From the deep well of his soul, the black knight emerged out of him, taking on a large, visible presence. He stood in front of him like he did so many years ago, and even now he stood apprehensively in the view of his own Persona. The beast emerged gallantly, stretching out his arms and bulky upper body for the joy of it while sitting on that same terrorizing, black horse.

He wasted no more time after enjoying his long overdue summoning, though. He stared straight ahead at the closest knight in front of him. With an intense burst of energy, his horse drew near its enemy and Castor unleashed his fatal end. From the previous minimal damage dealt before, this prevailing physical attack wiped out the knight completely, its remains drifting into the air.

_Okay. That's one down. Now all I have to worry about is him._

With the enemy defeated, his only anxiety rested on Castor's obedience. Once the attack was dealt, the Persona stood stationary for a moment while the other teammates marveled at his strength. Yeah, he was definitely strong, but strength only meant trouble if he couldn't control it.

Shinjiro wiped his face, staring in agony at Castor's body. _Come on, dammit. Come back…_

With those very thoughts, the Persona's form dissipated, returning to his owner's body. Shinjiro felt like passing out from the moment of relief.

Minako finally mustered up enough strength to regain her fighting stance, turning to Shinjiro. "So, you _were_ holding back. Now, was that so hard?" she said, her voice sounding more comforted than vexed. He simply nodded as she pointed her evoker to her head, casting another cadenza spell. He realized her plan now. She would focus on healing for the rest of the battle while he took out the knights. Simple enough.

Throughout the rest of the battle, summoning his Persona gave him the same kind of rush he remembered. He pulled the gun boldly to his head now as he made his strike, finally being able to respect Castor's strength instead of fearing it. With Minako healing the party when needed and Castor dealing heavy damage, the team was able to wipe out the rest of the Hell Knights.

"No Shadows are left. The battle is over!" Fuuka exclaimed happily, sighing soon afterwards. "You had me worried, though. Is everything all right?"

"Man, I'm beat." Junpei flung his arms wearily to the side, making sure to keep a steady hold of his katana. "But we're good now thanks to him. You kicked ass, Senpai!"

Shinjiro did his best to hide his face from all the admiration, placing his Evoker back in its holster. He scanned his party members briefly. Both Ken and Junpei seemed to be okay, though one was more enthralled with his performance than the other. He finally turned to his leader, observing her attentively. She dusted herself off from the ground and put away her evoker, her bottom lip slightly trembling.

"You okay?" he asked, coming to her aid. Her face was flushed, but she looked more sick than annoyed. Her scowling eyes met with his, her hand smacking him in the head again.

"What was the point in holding back that whole time?" She yelled. "We could have been killed!"

He grimaced at the sudden pain to his head, but he was used to her violence towards him by now. "You're the one who brought us this high up in the tower in the first place. You shouldn't have done it if you knew you guys weren't strong enough," he rebuked.

Her shoulders sunk low along with her expression, her eyes darting away from the others as they approached. "You're right," she said.

He opened his mouth to argue with her, but it was left agape when he heard that. She was actually admitting her mistakes? The only thing more surprising was that she was actually _agreeing_ with him.

"I'm sorry. I didn't want to put anyone in danger, honestly," she added, seeming perfectly capable of avoiding his bemused look. She focused her attention on Junpei and Ken, both of which were standing shyly next to her.

"Hey, no worries. We're alive, aren't we?" Junpei bolstered, raising his weapon in the air victoriously.

"It was difficult, but this way we'll be even more prepared for the next Shadow," Ken pitched in as an indulgent smile played on his lips.

Minako cheered up a bit after her stressed exhale, stretching out her arms. "Okay, then," she finally said. She figured that her teammates would never let her stay down for too long; they knew it wasn't in her nature. "I guess we'll be heading back now, Fuuka." She signaled her hand for the rest to follow, walking heedlessly now to the access point further back from where their battle took place. She seemed to have cheered up for their sakes, but he could still sense guilt from her; it was an emotion that he knew well enough by now to point out.

"Right. I'll be waiting for you at the entrance."

With one touch of the portal, the team was immediately sent back to the first floor of Tartarus. The others that were left behind greeted their leader with words of praise, though Mitsuru could read past their smiling faces and realized that all of them were exhausted after a battle that went beyond their strengths. She gave Minako her usual lecture about not pushing the team so much above their limits, while the leader gave her defiant justification.

"I hope that now we can rest tomorrow, considering how it's the day before the full moon," Mitsuru requested.

"O-Of course!" Minako replied, her cheeks hot with discomfort. She seemed somewhat embarrassed at how her senpai would make the accusation that she would put her team through something like that another night, though she couldn't blame her.

The stoic red head nodded before heading out the exit. Junpei and Ken followed behind soon after, eager for the moment when they would return back to the dorm. They felt like they would pass out as soon as their heads hit the pillow.

"You appear to be in dismay. Do you require assistance in returning to the dorms?" Aigis asked, placing herself next to Minako before Shinjiro had a chance. She seemed ready for anything, motioning her hands in a way that would imply she wanted to carry her back to the dorms.

"That's okay, Aigis!" she replied uneasily, swatting her hands away. "I-I'll see you tomorrow. Good night."

"Understood," the obedient robot said before leaving. She seemed almost worried in leaving her behind, looking back towards the gruff teen watchfully. Minako slowly followed behind Aigis, waiting for the moment when he would confront her predictably. He soon did just that, swinging his normal clothes over his shoulders and following up next to her.

"So," she began, noticing that his eyes were trailing everywhere but to her. "He wasn't as scary as you made him out to be."

He looked ahead at the streetlights that poured in the green, eerie light against the pavement, trying to count the blood stains on each sidewalk they passed by. He knew very well that she was talking about Castor; he just couldn't bring himself to talk about him as leisurely as she did. "You haven't seen anything yet."

She laughed playfully, snatching the beanie that rested on his shoulder and twirled it around. "Yet? Are you implying something?"

He grabbed it away from her and placed it back on his head where it belonged, ignoring her gestures. "It's nothing. What about you? Still upset?"

Her expression couldn't help but darken, though she quickly regained her pleasant demeanor. "A little bit, but I can't stay upset forever." She swayed her arms merrily as she walked, as if her words made her feel more comfortable about messing up. "I'm their leader, so I don't have time to lament over what could have happened differently."

"So you're just going to forget about it?"

She bowed her head slightly in confirmation, though she was unsure why he would need to ask.

"I see..."

His steps became slower with his foggy mind, leaving himself behind her. She bid him a good night before scurrying back to the dorms, her outline fading into the night with her growing distance. It was too cold of a night, especially since it was in September. He knew it was either because of the effect of the Dark Hour, or that it just matched his mood. He couldn't bring himself to find another reason to hate her, especially not now. The idea crossed his mind, though, since it would give him a reason for being so damn bitter.

But bitterness clashed with his style, and he couldn't live on having another negative emotion bring him down. He realized that, if anything, he could maybe learn a thing or two from her. That is, if Castor would let him live long enough.


	5. Chapter 5 Beloved

_**Author's Announcement**__: I'll be honest…I screwed up. This chapter was originally supposed to be posted quite some time ago as a birthday present, but school has prevented me from getting any writing done. College Algebra has taken up my time, but not this weekend! This chapter is dedicated to a good friend of mine._

_With that said, I want to give a __**very belated birthday shout out**__ to ObsessiveCompulsiveValkyrie. She's my favorite Shinji loving person on this site, even though she's probably mad at me for taking so long…Happy belated birthday, girl! Enjoy this chapter._

_Finally...P.S. I hate how when you guys get an alert that a new chapter is up, you get the summary with errors in it...Just ignore that, though, since **I fixed** the summary a while ago. If you didn't even notice it before, just disregard this sentence. Or the last sentence. Well, you get the point. ^_^_

_Oh, and I do not own P3 or P3P. As much as I would love to own Shinji, I don't. XD **Please review, too.  
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><p>Chapter 5: Beloved<p>

September 5-Escapade-Full Moon

The scary thing about being in control was knowing there would be someone who wanted to take you out of power. Shinjiro knew this, and yet he kept summoning his Persona. Then again, what other choice did he have but to fight?

It was finally the night of the full moon, and the group had discovered that the location of the Shadow was in Escapade. Junpei had gone missing, but the team carried on in spite of his absence. In the meantime before the battle, everyone was getting their weapons and equipment ready, considering how everyone felt this would be a lot more difficult than the last Shadow they faced. Shinjiro found himself alone on one of the benches in Paulownia mall, his mind trying desperately to get his thoughts together before the impending battle. He didn't need any advanced equipment, and he certainly didn't need to spend his time with the others. All he needed was himself and the peace needed to gather his strength and resolve.

But of course, peace didn't very long in his life, especially with her around.

"Hey! You're coming with me tonight, right?" Minako asked as she placed herself beside him, ignoring his uptight expression when he heard her voice. "Well, it's actually more of an order than a request."

"Is that so?" He countered, staring ahead at the light mist that covered the air during the Dark Hour. "Either way, you can count me in." He praised himself for getting out that potential argument so quickly; he figured it was better to just let her win than to face the rage of girl like her.

She gave off a high pitched yelp in excitement for getting her way. "Good! We need your strength on the team, especially tonight," she said, swaying her slim legs back and forth blithely.

He blinked harshly as if trying to snap himself out of a dream, but the words he heard were too clear to be a figment of imagination. "Was that a compliment I just heard from you?" He inquired slyly, finally turning his head towards her. He couldn't help but grow a slight smirk at the sight of her freezing in motion, almost as if she suddenly realized her slip.

"W-Well, I didn't…Maybe it was, okay? You got a problem with that?" She snapped defensively, hiding her face. "I only said it because of what I saw the other day. Your Persona doesn't seem to have a weakness, so it might be reliable…"

He leaned against the bench casually, relaxing himself. "You're right. A Persona only has a weakness when the user does…and I have no weakness."

She scoffed, nudging his arm with hers. "Really? You don't have to be such an arrogant jerk around me."

"I'm not trying to be. I'm just letting you know so that you can stop worrying about me."

"I-I'm not worried, okay? I was just asking because I'm your leader."

He cringed at the thought of it. It didn't matter how many times he heard it; he hated the fact that he was fighting under her command. "Of course you are," he said dryly. He felt that, if anything, he should have been the one looking after her, not the other way around. Then again, he didn't do too well in protecting others, so maybe this was what he deserved.

Minako scooted closer with the intent of arguing when Akihiko had approached them. He appeared in his usual, confident stance, but his expression showed a hint of hesitation. "M-Minako," he began with a stutter, his eyes looking down. "I want...to fight the Shadow with you tonight."

Shinjiro noticed her inching away from him on the bench, her once relaxed faced seeming troubled. "Akihiko-senpai, I don't know—"

"Just Akihiko," he reminded, his tone seemingly slightly bothered.

"Akihiko, I already chose who I'm going with tonight. I know you want to fight, but I'll—"

"Then switch out Aigis and put me in the group!" His eyes widened at his sudden outburst, looking at Minako's bothered reaction. "S-Sorry. I have to insist, though. I just want to make sure I'm there for you." He looked towards Shinjiro now, his eyes narrowing. "Shinji, tell her I'm strong enough to fight."

_Great._ Shinjiro lowered his head, averting both their gazes. He wouldn't mind having his best friend fight alongside him again, but he feared the wrath of his stubborn leader if he went against her. At the same time, he wouldn't mind making Minako satisfied by agreeing with her, but he feared getting beat up by his best friend. _I hate no-win situations_.

"Leave me out of this, Aki," he finally said. "It's her choice, not mine."

"Shinji!" He snapped. The once cool and collected senior clenched his fist, holding it up as if to deal in a strike.

"Okay, okay!" Minako stood up from the bench, waving her hands in defeat. "I guess it's okay for you to come along." She played a smile of her lips, Akihiko's face lighting up immediately from the sight of it. His hand released its tension, gripping Minako's shoulders now in a more placid manner.

"Thank you!" he exclaimed, his eyes practically glistening. He held one of her small hands with his own, his body overwhelmed with anticipation and excitement. "You won't regret, you know," he added, that typical, eager grin of his sweeping across his face now. "I'll protect you."

"Y-Yeah. Thanks, Akihiko."

Shinjiro shook his head in amusement, watching his friend leave with more confidence than before. He had never seen such a reaction out of his friend like that, considering how he had never talked to another girl before other than Mitsuru. He had to admit, he always thought he'd be happy with that well-rounded red head, but Minako seemed to give him the same look in his eyes that he would always give Miki. _He gets excited just by talking to her…What a damn fool._

She sighed in exhaustion, sitting back down on the bench with a lot less zeal. "Well, I guess we should get going, huh?"

He noticed her deadpan expression and felt a bigger need to question her instead of preparing for the next battle. "You hate the way he talks like that, but you still let him do it. Why is that?" he asked casually.

""Wh-What are you talking about, Senpai?"

He snorted. "You can't fool me. You hate how he always wants to protect you; you just can't find a way to break it to him. So then why is it no problem with me?"

"…Shut up."

He slowly smirked, lightly clearing his throat through his chuckle. "I'm right, aren't I?"

Just as he started even the tiniest cough, a slight itch began forming in his throat, the sensation soon morphing into irritation. He began coughing almost uncontrollably as the silence fell between them, though he tried his best to hold it back. _Dammit…not tonight._

"I just don't understand what his deal is," she continued, seeming to overlook his short but violent cough. "I can protect myself, you know! I don't need help from a guy like every other girl apparently does."

He cleared his throat one more time before sighing at her overconfidence. "Yeah, but you know he's an idiot. Aki tends to let his infatuation for you overpower your own feelings."

She gasped abruptly, slamming her fists against the bench and leaning towards him. "He doesn't like me!" she argued. "We're just friends."

"Heh, that guy's crazy for you." He jerked his head away as she moved in closer. "Don't you think I would know this kind of thing? We're friends, after all."

"B-But he's too oblivious to like me," she said, lowering her voice and scanning the outskirts of the area. Fuuka was still gathering information about Junpei's location since he was missing in action, and the others were busy sorting out their equipment. "He doesn't have time for girls," she hissed. "Besides, the last time I asked him what type he went for, he thought I was talking about beef bowls!"

"I told you that he's stupid," he said simply. He gently pushed her shoulder to maneuver her to the other side of the bench, giving himself more space. He constantly grew weary of the lack of distance between the two. She had sometimes gotten so close to her that he could practically smell her shampoo. He didn't necessarily mind the scent of cherries; he just never had a girl so close to him before. The feeling he got was almost along the lines of unease, though he refused to admit that to himself. "He may be oblivious, but he likes you. You remind him…of his sister."

"He's mentioned that, but…" She tapped the side of the bench in thought. "Oh! You can just tell him not to like me anymore!" she concluded cheerfully.

"What?" He turned to her, hoping that she was just telling him some kind of joke. Her beseeching, crimson eyes set ablaze against his, and he could see that she was absolutely serious. "N-No way, it's not happening," he refused, looking away in disgust. Why in the world would she think a guy like him would do that to his only friend? "Do it yourself."

"But you know I can't say no to someone like him! Besides, don't tell anyone this, but…" She leaned in closer to him than before, resting her hand on his shoulder and bringing her face towards his. "I personally think he'd look a lot better with Mitsuru-senpai than with me," she whispered in his ear.

His faced flushed almost instantly at the touch of her warm breath against his skin, and he felt that she was, yet again, way too close for comfort. He nearly threw himself to the edge of the bench and looked the other way, covering his panicked expression. "Th-That doesn't matter," he managed to say, trying to act natural. "He likes _you_, not her. Maybe you should just give him a try," he suggested. The hot sensation in his cheeks was dying down, though he felt like he was on an adrenalin rush. He thought of every terrible thing he'd done in his life, welcoming any guilty emotion to come and triumph over the feeling he had then and there. It could have been that she just caught him off guard. He knew there was no way him of all people could feel this way.

She abruptly pulled the collar of his coat towards her, the look in her face seeming to be disturbed. "I don't want to give him a chance!" she pouted, nearly shaking him from fury. "I mean, I like him and all, but I just can't see myself being with him. Why would you of all people tell me to go out with him, anyways?"

He found himself in another trance over her words, the sentence seeming to echo in his head. Why would his opinion matter to her so much, and why was she getting so defensive when he mentioned it? _This is the shit I deal with for trying to help out Aki…I never wanted this_.

Or what if he did?

His thoughtful face returned to normal as he pulled her hands off of him grimly, placing them on her lap. "I don't know what you're talking about, but you can do whatever you want. Don't date him if you don't want to."

"Of course I won't! You think I would do it just because you asked?"

He exhaled in exhaustion, reaching into his pocket and shaking the bottle of pills. "Just forget about it," he groaned. He looked over for a split second to see her sulking. He stared back down on the ground, making sure he didn't say anything else to fuel her anger. He hated it when she argued with him, especially when she went and implied certain emotions that he just didn't have time for. Or could he just be over thinking the situation? Half of the time they talked, they were in a confrontation. How could that imply anything significant?

Hey, Senpai! You okay?" she asked, wrapping her hands gently around his arm. His heartbeat just started to slow down, too, until she touched him. Again.

"Will you knock it off?" he demanded, violently tearing his arm away from her.

"…Senpai?"

"Minako-san, we're ready when you are!"

Minako looked up reluctantly to see Ken standing in front of them, looking excited to fight the Shadow. As soon as she met eyes with the eager boy, her senses returned to her. She had a job to do. Everyone was counting on her, so she couldn't worry about her stubborn teammate's sudden change in mood.

"Minako-san, are you okay?" Ken asked again, looking tentatively at Shinjiro.

She gave one last intent glare towards Shinjiro, hoping that he would turn and acknowledge her. "Yeah, I'm fine. Let's go."

He saw her gaze in his peripheral vision, but his ethics overpowered emotion. He watched her walk off with the kid, her worried expression soon changing back to a carefree, joyous face when around Ken. He disregarded it, though, covering up what he truly felt through his apathetic stare. He slowly came to his feet, the void forging inside him ruining his mentality for the upcoming battle.

**_You know what will happen if you continue to think like this. I expect no weakness from you._**

Right, the last thing he needed before stepping into Escapade was a few words of wisdom from his _friendly_ Persona. He shook his head for the echo to disappear, but the one thing Castor was good at doing besides scaring the crap out of him was overstaying his welcome in Shinjiro's thoughts. Either way, he needed to approach everything as though he didn't care; that way no one would know how he was feeling, including Castor.

He walked slowly to the group, avoidng any of their glances as he stayed deep in concentration. _Yeah, I'll be sure to try and meet expectations._

* * *

><p><span>Escapade-Below the Club<span>

He swore that these Shadows just kept getting more and more hideous and complex with their appearances as the battles progressed.

Everyone assumed their battle positions with only moments to analyze the enemy. Its body was made completely out of wires, its back arched over with support for the lengthy chains of what looked like electricity cords. Everyone was more than used to a Shadow's unique design, but this was just creepy. It seemed to have no end to its body; the wires were its very entity and stretched all across the field.

_Well, all I have to do is finish off this Shadow and everything will be fine. _He reconsidered the word, "fine", considering how nothing in his life could ever return to a state of just being "fine". Everyone withdrew their weapons and prepared themselves. He briefly looked over at Minako; she was busy barking orders to Akihiko and Ken. That was one thing she was really good at, but he didn't really mind how she told everyone what to do half the time. He admired her for it, if anything. He admitted that her authority was the epitome of annoying at first, but he soon grew to love that side of her.

_Wait. Love? I didn't mean that!_ He bit the inside of his check as punishment, tightly squeezing the handle of his axe. He didn't mean that. It was just an accident. He soon closed his eyes and sighed at the continuous thought of it. _It's not like I said that out loud, so I don't have to worry about anyone knowing…_

"Senpai! It's your turn."

That same voice he was thinking about snapped him out of his daze. Shinjiro's eyes met with his leader's, though hers showed much more impatience and shone with steely resolve. He quickly averted that stare, though, before he would find himself lost and conflicted all over again. He had to snap out of it. The battle had just started and he was already daydreaming.

So it was his turn to make a move. He couldn't rely on Castor. Not now, anyways. With one swift strike, Shinjiro dashed towards the fiend and flung his axe right into the center of its body. The beast shot out a dissonant wail with the heavy attack, but the light forming around the Shadow grew even stronger.

"Brace yourselves," Minako called out gravely. He the noticed the intensity in her stance contrasted with her voice. She, too, noticed the light emanating from the Shadow. She didn't know what it was for, but she knew it wouldn't be good.

The next few rounds of attacks ended the same. The damage from each member affected the Shadow greatly, but that strange light only tugged at his curiosity more. In a spit second, the Shadow's body radiated vibrantly, so lustrous that Shinjiro could barely look at it directly. The last thing he could process was that same unpleasant screech before his body jolted upwards. The sudden burst of lightning surging through him caused him to jump uncontrollably, soon colliding to the ground on his stomach.

He immediately acted on instinct. He cursed to himself quietly to make sure he was still alive. The second time was for good measure. "Shit," he mumbled again, groaning at the lasting paralysis of his body. He could just barely lift his head up to see his precious axe in front of him. It was only a few feet away from him, but the violent and consistent electrocution halted his muscles. He had to get up, though. He was counting on himself to stand up and finish off this wretched Shadow. But it was more than that. As time went on, there were others beside himself that were counting on him to fight. She needed him, too.

"Minako…" he had called out her first name for the very first time. The sound of it was a lot more relaxing than having to address her formally, but he other things to worry about than the sound of her name. He voice barely made a sound, and he couldn't move his head any more than a few inches up.

But after a few moments of his pain, everything was fine.

He rose to his knees instantly as soon as a wave of rejuvenation seeped through his tense muscles. His eyes flickered to his teammates standing back on their feet as well, though they were just as fazed by the Shadow's attack as he was. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Orpheus slowly fading away, and that's when everything made sense. She was the only one who withstood the attack.

"Are you all okay? It seems that the Shadow has to wait and conserve energy for one big attack. Please be careful," Fuuka called out once everyone was okay. _Now she tells us…_

Make sure you guys stand your ground," Minako said as she faced Akihiko and Ken. They both nodded in agreement while Shinjiro stood in amazement. He couldn't believe how focused and calm she was, but without her, he would have been done for. _She really is something else._

"And make sure no one holds back, either."

He was dazed enough as it is, but the frigid, stern voice that came from his friend struck chills across his body, making him hesitate to even answer. He looked over again to see the boxing champ staring him down intently. Akihiko knew better than anyone that he was definitely holding back, but he should have understood _why_ he was doing it. Was he seriously trying to provoke him?

He scanned Akihiko's movements as he summoned his Persona effortlessly. With intense, vigorous motions, Polydeuces threw a sonic punch towards the enemy. With another discordant shriek, the Shadow's head hung low as it coped with the heavy damage, its cords swaying back and forth as its head drooped. Shinjiro already knew that Akihiko was strong, but the glare in his eyes showed a different type of determination than before. This determination seemed to be housed from internalized anger. He couldn't help but wonder: did Akihiko channel this very rage towards him?

But the taunting and rage weren't the only things practically forcing out his Persona. He couldn't stop this feeling, this seemingly perpetual emotion that stripped him of his focus. The enemy stood before him anxiously, waiting for his moment of strike, yet all he could do was stare into the blank corner of his mind and beg for a way out of this mess.

_**Do you understand the retribution for your weakness? Or must I remind you?**_

The last thing he needed was that warning, but he had to keep telling himself otherwise. _I have no weakness_.

It seemed strange to him. The more he tried reassuring himself, the farther he plunged into uncertainty. The more he thought about what could hold him back, the looser his grip on Castor was. As he stared off into that very corner, his concentration diminished into something more blissful, a face that erased his anxiety and blanketed his thoughts with comfort. Maybe he did have a weakness, a fault that managed to bury itself under tough skin. This very flaw was unbeknownst to him for all this time for one simple reason: he took too much of a guilty pleasure in it to let it go.

"Hey, Shinjiro-san! Hurry up and attack!" Minako yelled from a distance, her confused face matching that of both Akihiko and Ken. He looked up to witness the very face in his thoughts. That face was able to make him distressed, angry, and relaxed all at different times, but a part of him never realized how much he needed it. He sighed with his sudden realization, snapping back into the cruel reality of the battle of both the Shadow and his emotions.

_She's my weakness…_

His next choice was out of pure haste, but he figured there was no other way to go about it. The enemy was practically on its last threads of life now, but so was he. The shock from the Shadow had taken a lot out of him, but even after getting healed, he had just enough life left in him to unleash one more of Castor's attacks. It was simple decision, one that he had hoped would override Castor's thoughts of his user showing any signs of limitation: use another life draining attack to take out the enemy for good.

He stood up and put the Evoker to his head. Summoning his Persona required full concentration, but his mind was clouded. He would usually just think of a peaceful time in his life to calm himself, but the very peaceful thought in his mind showed up as _her_. Of all people, she was the one that brought him peace. Of all people, she would be the one to break him of his focus.

But regardless, he pulled trigger in spite of this crazy notion.

With the loud crash reverberating within his head, Castor had revealed himself for the final blow. He stood more menacing than ever, realizing that this would the strike that destroyed his enemy. With one gallant prance of his black horse, the intimidating knight pierced his enemy with a fatal end. The Shadow's dissonant screech polluted everyone's ears, but this yell was different from before. This shriek marked the end of the Shadow's existence. The noise continued in the empty room until it finally died down, the Shadow's remains eroding and dissipating into the air.

"Alright. Good work!" He heard her call out. Shinjiro fell back on his knees, staring at the black knight before him. His appearance was much different than before now. Instead of just fainting back into his user's body, the Persona turned its horse in the direction of the exhausted teen.

_**Look at you. I expected more from you after all this time.**_

He stayed quiet through his heavy panting, his Persona eying him intently with the look to kill. He couldn't say a word. He knew he screwed up. More importantly, he knew he was _screwed_. His eyes quickly glanced towards Minako before meeting back with his Persona's, realizing the severity of simply looking away. _**You have let yet another emotion drive you away from control.**_

He was too exhausted to even think clearly. He couldn't understand. He took the pills, and he made sure he was strong. Could she really have thrown him into despair that easily? _This can't be happening. Not…now._

"Hey, what's going on? Why is his Persona still out?" Minako questioned worriedly. She looked to Akihiko for the best possible explanation, since Ken seemed too distraught to answer.

"Shinjiro-senpai, is everything okay?" Fuuka called out, sensing his troubled expression.

Shinji…it can't be…" The silver haired boxer nearly dropped his Evoker from the sight of Castor. Akihiko admitted to himself that he didn't want his friend to hold back, but he never imagined that this would happen again after all this time. He shoved his Evoker back in the holster, running straight into the danger of a deadly, stationary Persona. "Shinji, get it out of here!" He knew very well of what was happening; the night of when it first happened had bared too great a scar to ever forget.

Shinjiro stayed silent as looked up at his approaching ally, giving him a glare that clearly warned him to keep his distance. _Castor…come back._

The mighty horse gave out a loud bellow as if to answer for its master. _**You're too weak for me to even return to you. How do you expect me to let you live?**_

_Great_.

"He's losing control…of his Persona," Ken mumbled loud enough for Minako to hear. His eyes looked absorbedly at the sight of the beast inching closer towards its user. He remembered all of it: its black, ominous horse, the bulk of its upper body, and even the long, white hair that seemed to glimmer when the moonlight hit against it, almost shinning through the darkness of that very night. He was well aware of what a wayward Persona acted like; he was haunted by it too many times, and now the memories came back all at once.

"Wh-What are you talking about, Ken? Ken!"

Akihiko turned from his friend to see Ken holding his head and nearly tugging at his hair. His eyes focused on the ground, though the expression in them showed how he wanted to look up. Akihiko knew all too well of why he was so scared. It was the very Persona he had encountered two years ago, the very Persona that had killed his own mother.

With swift and supernatural speed, the horse arched its body downwards and charged towards Shinjiro, allowing Castor to easily reach out to the paralyzed boy. With one hand kept on the horse's leash, the other sturdy arm extended towards his user's neck, cuffing his throat with extreme force. The sudden and forceful grip slammed Shinjiro against the ground, his Evoker tumbling to the floor beside him. He shook violently in an attempt at freedom with the strict contraction of his airwaves, but the tightened grasp diminished his struggle.

"Go to Ken!" Minako ordered, pulling out her Evoker. "I'll handle the Persona."

Akihiko looked hesitant, glancing back and forth at Ken and Shinjiro. "What are you going to do?"

"Just trust me, Senpai! Take care of him."

He clenched his fists with the irritation of his helplessness. His own friend was in danger, but he couldn't do a thing to protect him. With witnessing Ken's struggle, all he was focused on was helping him. He nodded at his leader, running to Ken's side while hoping that Minako could stop the uncontrollable beast. He shook the boy with reassurance when he approached him, but his wailing only continued.

"S-Stop him…Someone…stop him…" he stammered quietly through sobs.

Minako gripped her Evoker and turned from her distressed teammate. She couldn't waste more time. She had to do what was necessary without falter. With the sound of Shinjiro's gagging as her reminder, she ran towards the berserk Persona. She had only moments to observe the teen's pale face and horrified eyes before releasing a weapon of her own.

"Orpheus!"

With an echoing blast, the Persona emerged from the depths of her being, a vibrant red light encircling her body with sheer radiance. Castor looked up to gaze at the Persona's entity only to tighten his constriction on his user, almost as if the daunting creature knew he only had a little bit more time to kill off his feeble host.

Shinjiro himself could see the burst of light from the corner of his eyes, though his captured stare was focused on the demon in front of him. Even the glare of the horse seemed to pierce him. With his vision fading and his life dimming in that very moment, he had only enough time to see one intense assault drive against Castor before everything faded to black.

"Shinjiro-san!"

While he closed his eyes and prepared for death, her voice was almost comforting as he drifted into darkness.

_**You were…very lucky this time.**_

* * *

><p><span>Paulownia Mall Entrance<span>_**  
><strong>_

"You okay, Shinji? Get up, dammit!" he heard a voice holler in desperation. The scream was followed by a sharp sting to his face. Shinjiro awoke with a start, baring his teeth and touching his jaw where he was hit. The world around him was shrouded with a heavy film of fog, and his eyes struggled to focus in on the boxer standing paranoid in front of him.

"Shit," he breathed, sitting up from a hard surface. Everything kept shaking around him, but he could tell by the blood spurting from the fountain that he was outside Paulownia mall.

But another thing had suddenly come to mind. He screwed up. He _seriously_ screwed up. "What the hell happened?" He asked in a low moan, leaning forward while still spread out against one of the benches.

"Your Persona…it went out of control again." He cursed himself in his mind for adding that that last word, the tension now filling the air of the Dark Hour.

"I already knew that." Shinjiro rested his back against the arm railing of the bench, balling up one fist against his cheek as he avoided meeting eyes with his friend. "What happened afterwards?" All he could remember was the blast of light that shot up against Castor. Everything after that was gone when he was out.

"Minako took out your Persona with Orpheus. You were unconscious after that."

He remembered now: the attack against his Persona, the sound of his name just before passing out, and even Castor's thoughts. Even though she was able to defeat him, he could still feel his Persona stirring relentlessly inside him.

But there was one thing he still couldn't understand. He felt around his pocket for the bottle of pills. There was only one left, but he still shouldn't have lost control like that. He took two of them long before the battle even started, and he made sure he was mentally and physically prepared to summon his Persona.

That was until he thought about her.

"Tch. It's _her_ fault," he groaned quietly, though Akihiko was still able to hear it. He _knew_ it was her fault. He would have been perfectly fine if he didn't have to deal with her. _I wouldn't have lost control if I didn't think about her._

"What do you mean? She saved you, Shinji. You should be thanking her!" Akihiko protested.

"It doesn't matter. It's over now."

"What's over? Shinji, where are you going?"

He stood up off the bench and walked away, shaking off the constant tugging of his arm from his stubborn friend. He couldn't be seen after what happened. He needed to collect his thoughts, but not here. He would never be able to recover from humiliation with all his teammates worrying about him.

"Where do you think you're going?" There it was—that painful voice cut into his thoughts right on cue.

And he especially couldn't recover with _her_ around.

"Answer me!" She ran over to him and yanked his arm to make him stop, but even then he couldn't stand to look at her.

"I'm not staying here," he finally said.

"But Shinjiro-senpai...we finally found Junpei-kun. He's on the roof of the dorm, and he may be in trouble!" Fuuka noted, urging him to stay.

"You can do it without me."

"Dammit, stop being so stubborn and listen to us! Why do you always to be like this?"

She quickly slapped him across the face before pulling at his arm again, but this time and used force to push her away. He was tired of getting smacked around tonight. Hell, he was tired of it _every_ night. If he wasn't getting ordered around from his own Persona, it was from her and Akihiko.

Well, he was getting real sick of it.

"I'm tired of you always pushing me around." He finally met eyes with her, but that only made him angrier. He looked away and sighed before walking off, making sure she was a good distance away from her before she had a chance to follow. "Screw this."

"I told you to stay!" she persisted, running after him.

"And I told you that I'm done!"

He swung his body around and grabbed her by both wrists, catching her by surprise. He grasped them tightly in response to her struggle, ignoring her plea to let go.

"Th-This hurts, you know," she groaned though her squirming. She was embarrassed to admit how easily he could restrain her.

"Then stop following me!" he barked. "You're always pestering me, and I'm tired of dealing with you. All you do is piss me off, so leave me alone!"

He released his grip on her and shoved her away from him. He gave one last cold, dispassionate stare before turning around and heading aimlessly in the other direction. He didn't know where he would go, but any place where she wasn't around sounded like his idle sanctuary. He figured that after finally telling her off she would get a clue. Maybe now she would stop talking to him and leave him be. He wouldn't blame her if she ended up hating him; that would be what he deserved, anyways.

_So then why the hell am I forcing myself to not look back at her?_

"S-Senpai…" Fuuka's troubled gaze looked up at Mitsuru's, but the stoic red head merely looked ahead with indifference before walking up to Minako.

"Let him be for now," she advised her leader, making sure she didn't try and follow him. She did the exact opposite, though, of what Mitsuru thought. With brisk force, she swirled her body away from her Senpai, holding her head up high.

"Fine. Let him act like a complete ass," she stated.

"Well, that's not what I meant. Aragaki just needs time to himself."

"He can have all the time he wants! See if I care," she announced, folding her arms.

"Minako-san, are you sure you're okay?" Ken finally spoke up. Besides the watery eyes and messy hair, he seemed to have made a quick recovery from his panic attack.

"Of course I am!" she said almost defensively. "We have much more important things to take care of other than him! Let him sulk. We need to get back to the dorm!"

"I agree," Akihiko said, coming to her side. He rested his hand on her shoulder with assurance, though she was already confident in her decision. If he didn't want to talk to her, then so be it. Why would she waste any more time on him? _I don't need him, anyways!_

Minako nodded firmly, facing her remaining team. "Okay then. Let's move out!" she hollered. She seemed full of energy as she rushed towards the dorms, her teammates trying to catch up to her.

Fuuka ran alongside Ken, the young boy seeming at a loss of stamina from the last battle. "I-Is Minako-san okay?" he asked in between pants.

"I…think so," she answered meekly. She looked ahead at the girl racing out of Paulownia mall as if she was blowing off steam. Fuuka quickly looked away from her to stop herself from thinking about it, but she had a feeling that Minako was anything _but_ okay.

* * *

><p><span>September 12-Dorm Lounge<span>

"They haven't spoken in nearly a week. Do you think they're okay?"

Fuuka looked up impatiently at her Senpai as she sat restlessly in her chair, waiting for a reassuring response. Akihiko refused to speak, looking down at his gloves and fiddling with them in an attempt to block out Fuuka's question.

"I'm sure they're both just busy," Mitsuru explained calmly, looking down at her book and flipping the page.

"But I never see them leave their rooms unless they come down for dinner, but even then they don't say a word to each other…"

"Perhaps Minako is not yet over Shinjiro-san's failure to control his Persona," Aigis suggested, listening to Fuuka from the other chair in the lounge.

Akihiko looked up briefly, his eyes narrowing. "It doesn't matter," he stated. Some twisted part of him hated talking about ways to repair the relationship between those two. What was even worse was how he liked their growing distance. Minako was old enough to make her own decisions, and if anything, the two actually grew closer when she ignored his friend. In the past week, Minako had actually stopped to talk to him in the halls, and she even ate dinner with him. "Maybe it's better if she isn't distracted by Shinji," he added. He enjoyed the benefits of the situation, yet a sharp pain pierced his chest when he went against his friend.

"I agree with Sanada-san," Ken said confidently, bracing himself for all pairs of eyes to focus on him. "I mean, Minako-san has been a lot less angry lately. She's more focused on being a leader now, too. And I…like it better when she's not around him."

Fuuka's face tried to stay soft, but the boy's words almost sounded like words of contempt. "Ken-kun…"

"Since when did the status of their relationship become such a dramatic topic for you, Yamagishi?" Mitsuru questioned, peering up from her book."

They shy junior didn't know how to answer. "I guess it's because we're all friends…" It's true that the two of them had no effect on her whatsoever, but she had known Minako and her Senpai since they had first met, and she's been the one stuck in the middle of all their conflicts after school ever since. It's not like she minded the lack of fighting; she just knew it wasn't normal for Minako to walk past Shinjiro-senpai without at least making fun of him. "And it's just not the same to—"

"Wait a minute! What do you mean by their 'relationship'?" Akihiko asked, suddenly engaging himself more into the discussion. He looked at Fuuka with a troubled stare. "They're not really in a relationship, are they?"

"N-No, they're not. It still worries me, though."

She opened her mouth to say more, but she suddenly stopped. As if he heard that they were talking about him, Shinjiro's footsteps were heard trailing down the staircase accompanied by his diminutive yawn. By the look of his half opened eyes, he appeared to have just woken up. He gave his dorm mates at the lounge a quick glance before heading towards the door, hoping to avoid conversation like he usually did.

"Finally getting some fresh air?" Mitsuru mentioned, though still staring down at her book. She usually paid no mind to her teammates going out on their day off, but Shinjiro was different. He hadn't left the dorm in over a week, but now he was heading out so quickly even though he was tired. She knew from living with him previously that he would never go out on a day off when he could be sleeping in.

He nodded halfheartedly. "Just for a bit." He stopped after touching the doorknob, turning towards everyone as he turned its handle. "Don't let anyone else know I'm out."

Mitsuru smiles wittingly."You mean, don't let Arisato know you're out?"

He gave a low groan to replace the awkward silence. He paused a bit and sighed before walking out the door. He hated it when she knew what he was thinking, but he decided not to tell her that.

"Shinjiro-san appears to be apprehensive about Minako-san discovering his location," Aigis concluded, sounding somewhat proud of her analysis through her monotone voice. "He is clearly avoiding her presence."

Akihiko refused to look up at the overly logical robot, seeming more annoyed than usual. "Well, that looked obvious enough."

"Do you see what I'm talking about now?" Fuuka pointed out.

"I don't see anything wrong," he muttered.

"Anything wrong with what, Senpai?"

Everyone looked up to see Minako coming down the stairs, wearing her casual Sunday clothing. Everyone looked down at the sound of her voice and tried to look natural, but besides Mitsuru and Aigis, she could see they were faking it.

"U-Um, it's nothing," Akihiko said, practically speaking into his gloves as he toyed with the strings.

"We were all discussing the current condition of you and Shinjiro-san," Aigis reported.

The boxer looked up from his lap. He would have glared at her, but it wouldn't have done any good against the robot's obedient nature. "Thanks, Aigis…"

"Wait, what about us?" She asked, scanning the lounge. "He's in his room now, isn't he?"

"Shinjiro-san has left the premises."

"A-Aigis!" Fuuka scolded. _So much for not saying anything like he asked…_

Minako stood frozen in her steps, though she tried to remain indifferent. "Where to?"

"He didn't say, but I'm sure he doesn't want to be followed," Mitsuru spoke up.

"Of course he doesn't! That's because he's probably going out to b—"

She bit her tongue. The fact that she knew he was using pills to control his Persona was bad enough for him, considering he didn't even know. She couldn't let anyone else find out. She promised Akihiko that she wouldn't. Something still bothered her, though. He knew his friend was struggling with the pills and his Persona, so why did he let him do it? More importantly, why didn't he stop Shinjiro from leaving the night of the full moon?

"I'm going out for a while," she said, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Minako-san, you're not going after him, are you?" Ken questioned innocently. She refused to look in his direction, though, and headed for the door.

"Don't do it!"Akihiko urged, glaring at her.

"I-I'm not going. I promise." She tried smiling to cover up her flustered face, but he didn't seem to be buying it. "I just…need to get a few things at the convenience store real quick."

He stood up now, throwing his gloves on the couch. "Then I guess you won't mind if I come with you."

Mitsuru closed her book angrily after reading the same sentence about three times, looking up at the boxing champ. "Akihiko, don't…"

Minako laughed nervously as he approached her. "Um, that's okay. I-I don't need any help, really," she stammered.

"It won't hurt if I come along." He stood next to her now, ignoring the glares from Mitsuru. He would usually cower in fear of those stares, mostly because they would foreshadow those well-known executions, but he was more focused on Minako to even notice her staring him down. "You owe me a day out anyways, remember? You can't break a promise."

"I-I know, but maybe another day? I'm really busy and all, a-and you seemed so comfortable sitting next to Mitsuru-senpai!"

He opened the door quickly, motioning his hands in a way that invited her to walk out first. "Go on," he said as he gestured her to move.

With a sigh of defeat, she slunk out the door slowly, looking back at Akihiko's serious expression behind her.

"What does he plan on doing?" Fuuka asked out loud.

Mitsuru picked up her book again, focusing on the current page she was on. "Don't worry about it," she mumbled.

"But Minako-san is probably out to go look for Shinjiro-senpai, isn't she?" Ken wondered.

"It doesn't concern any of us," the once calm red head hissed, appearing bothered. "Just leave them alone."

But it seemed like all she could do was think about it. He knew he was probably going out with her to confess his feelings for their leader, but she also knew that he was too oblivious to realize his unrequited emotions. Mitsuru knew how everything would turn out, and yet she still hoped for the best. When she thought about it, though, she realized that was all she ever did for Akihiko. As long as he kept worrying about Minako, all she could ever do was just wish the best of luck for him.

_Just don't get reckless when you find out how she really feels._

* * *

><p><span>Tatsumi Port Island<span>

_This isn't what I wanted to do on my day off. Why am I trying so hard, anyways? He's nothing but trouble. We can't even go a day with talking to each other without arguing, so why do I—_

"Minako, it's melting."

Minako instinctively looked down at the sound of Akihiko's voice. The ice cream that he had bought her was definitely melting. The soupy mixture raced down her wrist, but she just watched with apathy.

"I'm sorry. I guess I'm just not hungry."

He took the cone out of her hand and threw it in the trash can beside their bench. "It's okay," he said happily. He gently grabbed her by the arm and wiped her hand with his napkin, smothering it towards the remaining liquid that traveled down her arm. "It's not good when it melts, anyways," he added, scooting more towards her. "I bet this wasn't your first time eating it since you came to Port Island, huh?"

His words flung her into a montage of flashbacks. It _wasn't_ her first time. She remembered back to the day when her and Shinjiro weren't completely pissed off at each other. It was that same day that they went out together. _He bought me ice cream just a couple days after joining SEES._

She smiled unknowingly at the thought of it. He was so…_kind_. After all the yelling and fighting, Minako was able to see a side of him that was actually generous. She even flushed at the remembrance of him smiling. She didn't think much of it at the time, but she needed that memory more than ever. That kindness towards her couldn't have gone away that easily, could it?

_Now I really need to find him. _

"So, um, don't worry about the ice cream, okay?" Akihiko repeated timidly in response to her silence. "Besides, professional athletes don't eat sweets when it's training season. They burn nearly 2 to 3,000 calories a day. Ice cream just gets in the way of that, you know? I mean, track stars can't handle eating dairy when they run eight miles a—"

"Hey, Akihiko?" Minako finally said, grabbing his attention.

"Y-Yes?" he stammered. There he went again with giving fitness advice to a girl. He never hated doing it before to anyone else, but he tried to avoid it when he was around her.

"I'm kind of in the mood for flowers."

"Flowers?"

She nudged her head in the direction of the Rafflesia flower stand, flashing him a grin. "Did you know that roses are my favorite?"

"Roses…yeah, good choice. They match your eyes, too." He leaned in closer now, though it wasn't the reaction she intended. "They're nice, you know." He smiled as he looked at her. "They kind of remind me of…blood."

"B-Blood?"

"N-No! That didn't come out right…"

He threw his hands over his face and slid to the far edge of the bench._ Blood? That's all I could think of?_ He cursed himself for his lack of creativity. He actually thought it was a nice thing to say before he saw her horrified reaction. Girls were so hard to please in his mind, though he thought it was just her that posed the greatest challenge.

"I-I'm sorry…blood isn't really a bad thing, though. It can be a very vibrant color when you look at it," he finally said, trying so hard to explain himself and make a comeback.

_How dense can you get?_ "Well, anyways," she started, ignoring any more of his "compliments". "I really like roses, so maybe you could get me some?"

His face immediately lit up at the thought of redeeming himself. "Of course! How many do you want?"

"Well, I _really_ like them. I also have a pretty big room to fill. I've always wanted a whole room filled with roses…"

"Then I'll just get you a lot!" he decided cheerfully.

"Are you sure it's okay?" she asked, scooting closer and giving him her best pleading stare.

"D-Don't worry about it." He couldn't help but feel his face getting hot when she gave him that wide-eyed look. How could he possibly say no to her? _If flowers will get her mind off of Shinji, then I'll get as many as it takes._

"Wait here," he said as he held one of her hands with his, uncontrollably blushing at the touch of his fingers brushing against the surface of her soft skin. "It may take a while."

A warm smile tugged at her lips, removing her hand away from his and just lightly patting him on the shoulder. "Thank you, Akihiko!"

That was more than enough motivation for him. With one last nod, he took off to the flower stand. Minako watched as the hyped-up senior stared at the array of flowers with uncertainty. With the way he took everything so literal, she figured it would be impossible for him to find enough roses to cover her whole room. She smirked solemnly at the thought.

_Sorry I had to do that, Senpai_…

But her regret didn't last for very long. Her focused almost instantly focused on the other senior: Shinjiro Aragaki. He had a bad habit of doing that to her. The moment he was involved with a situation, nothing else mattered but where to find him.

_What the hell is wrong with me? I'm not…infatuated, am I?_

She shook her head at the thought, rising out of the bench. She looked intently at the back alley entrance. She knew he'd be there; she just didn't know who else would be with him.

He wouldn't let anybody hurt me...What am I saying? _I_ wouldn't let anyone hurt me!" she whispered, griping her knuckles tightly. "I'll go in there, yell at him, and storm off. That's all." She turned her head back to Akihiko. "He won't even know I'm gone."

With her words as reassurance, she took her chances and ran towards the back alley, completely unaware of what she was about to get herself into.

* * *

><p><span>Port Island-Back Alley<span>

The calm breeze of the afternoon brushed against his face, the calmness of the alley matching his mood. Shinjiro stared down the two pairs of eyes that focused in on him as their owners sauntered in his direction, trying not to show the relief he felt when he saw one of the guys carrying a bottle of pills. It would only take a few minutes; nothing more. After that, he could go about his business as though nothing ever happened. He was alone, after all, so he shouldn't have had to worry so much.

"Good evening," one of them said as they stopped in front of him, keeping a comfortable distance. "I've noticed that you've been with them for quite some time now. How are you faring with your condition?"

He kept his mouth shut. He's been dealing with these two ever since his first accident in SEES, but he still hated the small talk they would try to make. Considering his recent humiliation with the last battle, the last thing he wanted to talk about was his "condition".

"Judging by your silence, it's probably not going so well."

"It's none of your damn business," he finally snapped. He almost felt guilty about releasing his anger on Jin. He wasn't nearly as bad as the other one, but he was distant and easily annoyed with them all the same. He dealt drugs with them, and that was it. Of course, he felt some type of strange connection between them since all their Personas had an over dominant personality, but he didn't want to know so much as their names before they went and told him. Even then, he hated addressing the two people who gave him these poisonous drugs, though he took them willingly.

Jin grunted in response to Shinjiro's attitude and reluctance to speak, handing him the bottle of pills without saying another word. He quickly took his side by the shirtless man again, swinging his silver suitcase back and forth.

"This month is drawing to a close," the other one said. _He_ was the one that really pissed him off. Shinjiro really wasn't one to judge when it came to clothing, but this guy didn't seem to know the meaning of the word, considering how all he wore was pants. On top of that, he had a bad hobby of pressing his buttons little by little with his arrogant logic.

"So?"

"With a new month coming into play, I can't help but feel that your sense of control is unraveling."

The brute teen looked down at the bottle, the noise of it shaking replacing the awkward silence; it was the only thing keeping him from punching this guy in the face. "It doesn't concern you."

"Oh, but what if it does? You see, we all share the same fate because of these suppressants, but I sense you'll cease to exist sooner than we predicted."

"And just what makes you think that?" he spat, seeming anxious from the pale man's words.

The shirtless man seemed to relish over Shinjiro's distraught face. "Why bother with details? Whether you're aware of it or left in ambiguity, impending demise will be delivered to you all the same."

"Take it easy, Takaya," Jin warned, noticing the boy's threatening glare. Even if this was the reaction Takaya intended, he couldn't help but feel that this gruff teen could take him down effortlessly.

Shinjiro clenched both fists in an attempt of restraint as he saw another smirk form on Takaya's face, this one more menacing than before. He was about to open his mouth again regardless of Jin's warning.

That was until she came. The hollering of a girl cut Takaya off, and Shinjiro unclenched his fists. He thanked the girl in his head for breaking up a potential fight.

_W-Wait. A girl's voice? It couldn't be._

"How did I know I'd find you here? And what are you doing with _these_ guys?" the high pitched voice called out.

_Shit_.

"Isn't that your leader? What is she doing here?" Jin finally spoke, looking at the embarrassed boy with his head hung low in reluctance to look up at everyone.

"What are _you_ doing here?" she rebuked. She tapped her foot against the pavement relentlessly, each time making Shinjiro flinch at the familiarity of the sound. He hadn't heard that annoying sound in over a week, and he really didn't miss it that much.

"Don't worry. We're just chatting with an old friend."

Minako stared down the pasty man with disgust, but his expression never wavered. "Well, beat it," she said, still eying him. "We need to talk."

_Great_. He knew this "talk" was going to come eventually. He only wished Castor could have taken him out when he had the chance.

"It's quite a coincidence to see you again," Takaya continued, enjoying her frustrated glare. "Perhaps we could discuss out trial with the Dark Hour while you're still here."

She scrunched her face in disagreement of the idea. "Perhaps you could run off and find yourself a shirt!"

Shinjiro yanked her arms towards him, cuffing his hand over her mouth. "We're leaving. Now," he groaned, dragging her out of the back alley. Minako, naturally, struggled against his grip, but his sturdy arm wrapped firmly around her waist. He couldn't afford her making any more insults. He could see out of the corner of his eye that the two had given up and began walking off. He knew he would be seeing them again, though. He didn't know when and where, but Takaya's words were still stuck in his head. How could he possibly know of his fate?

He tossed Minako towards the large, green waste cans before shoving his hands in his pockets. He would rather do anything else but get in an argument with her, but he still braced himself.

"What are you doing here?" he asked blankly, refusing to look at her.

She planted herself on one of the barrels, getting straight to the point. "I'm here to stop you from taking those stupid pills!"

He suddenly turned to her in disbelief only to soon lower his head when they met eye to eye. "Aki told you?"

He looked up briefly to see her nod as her eyes narrowed. "He told me everything about them. They're supposed to control your Persona, right? But the side-effects…"

"It doesn't matter."

"Of course it does!" She stood up from the barrel, forcing herself in his space. "You take those pills, but last time in battle…" She paused, that brilliant shade of crimson disappearing when she closed her eyes. "Last time you were almost killed."

"And what if it _did_ happen?" he said harshly, backing away. She looked up in distress, and at that moment he had never seen her look so innocent. "People die every day. You can't worry about losing a teammate when you're the leader."

"But you're more than just a teammate, Senpai," she said softly.

He didn't try to hide how taken aback he was. _Where is all this coming from? She never acts like this…_

"Still, this isn't how things are supposed to be. You shouldn't worry about a guy like me."

"What is that supposed to mean?" She moved cautiously towards him, hoping that he wouldn't reject her approach. He did his best to ignore her, but the feel of her slim fingers clasping around his arm made him shiver.

"But I like you, Senpai."

A sharp sting rendered in his chest, but the shock of her words overshadowed the pain. "Wh-What?"

"I don't care if I'm the leader; I don't want you to die! You shouldn't be so accepting about dying, either. How would everyone at the dorm feel if that happened? How do you think I'd feel?"

He grinned, but just barely. Her words were comforting, but they didn't alleviate the burden. He _was_ going to die. Everyone does, after all; the time of when it'll happen makes no difference. But even after coming to terms with death, he felt he would still have left something unfinished if he had died quicker than expected.

"I keep telling myself I'm better off this way, but every time I think I'm alone, your face is the first thing that comes to mind." He finally turned his body in her direction, looking right at her. "You're a real pain, you know that?"

"I-It's not my fault!" she pouted, turning her head to the side. He could detect even in that one sentence that he was making her nervous. He looked at her, but she looked away. He tried moving closer, but she only moved further apart. "Do you really have to take those pills?" she added, her eyes wandering everywhere but in his direction.

"It's better that I try to suppress my Persona while I still can."

"But you still lost control!" she protested. "What happened that made the pills not work?"

He lowered his gaze and headed for the barrel, sitting on it comfortably as he hid his face. "It was you."

She jumped up angrily, stomping her foot on the ground. "Me?" she wailed. "How is it _my_ fault?"

"You were in my head the whole time." He shut his eyes, feeling embarrassed at his own words. Even he couldn't believe he was coming out and saying all this. It wasn't like him. "I couldn't concentrate, so I lost control."

She exhaled, shaking her head. "I'm tired of you always blaming me for your mistakes, Senpai."

"Tch." He looked up with a cold stare, looking right through her enraged expression. "And I'm tired of you always being on my mind."

She stepped backwards, nearly tripping. He almost felt at ease when he saw her face flush. "You're exaggerating…"

"Am I?"

She took in a deep breath before regaining a more confident stance. "Fine. I'm sorry."

He really wasn't expecting that kind of response. "What do you mean?"

"I'm sorry that I make you so angry, okay?" She sat beside him on the barrel now, staring at her shoes. "I didn't realize I bothered you that much. I never wanted us to hate each other, you know."

He sighed, almost laughing at her oblivious nature. "You idiot," he mumbled. She was far from his point, but he didn't know how else to show her that he _didn't_ hate her.

"What did I do now?" she asked, honestly feeling at a loss. His low chuckling only seemed to make her more confused. "Look, I actually really like you, Senpai. I'm serious!"

His face hardened when he plunged into thought. He couldn't explain it, but her words sounded genuine. It was more than that, though. _Maybe she's testing me to see if I'll react to that._ He wasn't sure what to say. Then again, maybe there was nothing _to_ say. Maybe she wanted him to speak with his actions.

"S-Senpai, what wrong?" Her voice sounded so pure to him at that moment, and that in itself was enough to make him snap. "You're just going to ignore me now? Hello? Say so—"

He grabbed her tightly with both hands, pulling her in by the shoulders. She fell into his chest as he wrapped one arm around her neck. With one brisk motion, he tilted her head upwards right before pressing his lips against hers.

That was it. He had finally done it. Her muffled words vibrated against his mouth, but her reluctance only made him want more. He swept his hand across her neck gently, enjoying the smooth texture and warmth of her lips. That same sensation in his chest spread through his body now, but he welcomed it this time. This was what he really needed. This was the action that clarified all emotions that he conflicted with all along.

_I need her. _

He finally let go, feeling a void form in chest when he pulled away. He smiled softly when he focused in on her face. His thoughts were jumbled, but all that mattered was how good it felt kissing her. She, on the other hand, looked confused, even terrified. He couldn't quite pinpoint the reaction, but it didn't look anything like his own.

"You…You jerk!"

He nearly tumbled off the barrel at the abrupt punch. It wasn't her usual slap; it was her best fighting punch she used when she was in danger, and it almost reminded her of one of Akihiko's punches.

He hid his face, the sudden rush of excitement he had disappearing. "What's wrong with you?" he hollered, his muscles tightening. He had just kissed her. What could she be mad at?

"Don't act like you don't know, moron!" She was practically shaking when she stood up, her head facing the ground to conceal her eyes. "Who said you could kiss me?"

He blinked, feeling short on words. "I…I thought you wanted me to." The words barely escaped his lips.

"When did I say that?" She was making him feel even worse. What else was a guy supposed to do? "I-I didn't want to be kissed like that. My first…and it was from _you_."

She swatted her hand towards him again for another hit, but he grabbed it just as quickly when he stood up. That was her first kiss, but it didn't matter. It was _his_ first, too.

"I'm sorry, okay?" he said in defeat. He didn't _want_ to be sorry for kissing her, but he also didn't want her to be so upset over it. "Maybe if you weren't always around me, I wouldn't have done it."

"W-Why are you blaming _me_?"

"Because all you ever do is push me around and argue with me! You're so damn persistent, too. You're argumentative, annoying, and you always have to be right…" He lost himself in thought when his eyes met with hers. He breathed in slowly, trying to hold back his urges. "But I can't help it."

"Can't help what?" she hissed, hanging on to her last attempts of defending herself. "If you hate me so much, then why do you _let_ me push you around? If I'm that terrible…then why did you kiss me?"

He tugged at her arm, pulling her in and tightening his grasp. "You want me to spell it out for you?" he mocked. He stared right at her, but he kept avoiding her face again. He tilted her chin upwards, but she kept averting his eyes. "I told you I can't help it, Minako." He let the sound of her name enter the stillness of the moment, though he knew it couldn't ease the tension. "I like you too much."

She inhaled and tried to move away from him, but he kept a firm grip on her left arm. The more she squirmed, the tighter he held her. As he wrapped his other arm around her waist, he couldn't help but want to kiss her again. _I can barely control myself, let alone my Persona._

He eased his grasp when he felt her face sinking into his chest. He couldn't deny that he liked the feeling of her being so close, but something was wrong. The sound of muffled cries only confirmed his suspicions.

_Wait, she's crying?_

"H-Hey, what's wrong?" he panicked, trying to lift up her face. Her hands suddenly slid delicately around his body before squeezing tightly, making him even more confused. The emotional grasp only led to more crying. _What the hell is going on?_

"Stop crying, okay?" he said, trying to be calm. "This isn't like you…"

"It's your fault!" she shrieked, burying herself further into his chest. The two of them had a bad habit of blaming each other, and he knew that. Her words were barely understood, but he made them out the best he could whenever she moved her face away from his chest. "_You're_ the one that's argumentative! I only react to everything _you_ do." She was screaming now through her sobbing, the desolation she had suppressed for a week finally streaming down her face. "I wouldn't push you around if you didn't provoke me. Besides, arguing with you seemed like the only way I could be around you more."She balled up her fists, tightening her clutch around him. She felt safe in his possession. The comfort of his body so close to hers made her emotions slip into words. "I know it's wrong of me to bother you, but _you're_ the one that made me like you so much in the first place."

He lit up at her confession, but he still felt awkward. It wasn't like Minako to break down and convey such feelings. He knew her as strong-willed, powerful, and unstoppable, but he was able to break her down so easily. Then again, she made _him_ act out of the ordinary, too.

He was finally able to gently remove her away from his chest, focusing on her teary-eyes look. He really didn't know what to do next. He had finally kissed the girl he liked, but now she was crying. She confessed that she had felt the same way, but she was _still_ in tears.

"Are you afraid to love me?"

She looked up quickly, staring into his silver eyes. "N-No, that's not it!" Love. The very word resonated through her head. She wondered if he made a mistake in using that word, but his serious expression told her otherwise. She couldn't deny that she liked Shinjiro, but loving him was a whole other messy emotion. She was happy when she was around him, so maybe it _was_ love. "Are you afraid?"

"Not sure yet." He stroked the side of her neck, lowering his head and placing his lips on her forehead as the last of her tears stroked down her face. "Depends on how things turn out for me later on."

"Wait, what's going to happen later?" she questioned tentatively.

He shook his head, regretting even mentioning the idea. He didn't need to drag her into his mess, but couldn't help but want to tell her everything. "I don't like feeling this way," he admitted, changing the subject. It was true—the more he fell for her, the more he regretted it. "You don't have to like me back just because I kissed you."

She gained a stance that suited her more. He liked her looking more confident than vulnerable, anyways. "Shut up," she said sternly, finally looking him in the eyes. She took a step back and crossed her arms. "If I want to like you, I can!"

"Good to hear," he said with a grin. He knew he was getting himself into trouble later down the road, but he still stepped forward to kiss her again. He welcomed everything about her. She drove him crazy, but sliding his lips between her made all the nagging worth it. She may have been his weakness, but that was just one weakness that Castor would have to accept.

"Close your eyes," he instructed, noticing her eyes were left wide opened as he moved his lips at a steady pace with hers continuously. "You're making this awkward for me."

She blinked uneasily. "D-Don't tell me what to do…"

He sneered softly at her willingness to talk back even when they were kissing. He ignored it, though, and invited the touch of her arms encircling his waist in a light embrace as his hands slid down her back. The two needed nothing more to say; they accepted each their stubborn ways. They would probably always disagree, but they needed each other. They knew this by the very passion conveyed through their lips.

And for the first time, all the guilt and anguish he felt was released in one simple yet sweet catharsis.

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><p><span>Meanwhile-Back Alley Entrance<span>

The roses fell to the ground bit by bit with the shocking sight. Their beauty descended to the back alley pavement, their once vivid texture slathered in a puddle of murky rain water. His mouth was slightly agape, his bottom lip trembling. The flowers didn't matter anymore. It didn't matter how rich they were in beauty, and it didn't matter how many there were, either. No amount of simple roses could ever suffice for the intricate emotions that stirred inside him. He looked ahead fixatedly, staring at the disturbing display of passion in the distance.

Akihiko looked down at the scattered, worthless petals. His mind was too clouded for thought, and his mouth could barely move. He parted his lips open slightly, welcoming the hot, salty liquid that fell to the tip of his mouth as his head faced the ground.

"Minako…"

Though his mind was in a haze, retaliation appeared to be the only clear thought. With betrayal as his drive, nothing else mattered but planning his next move.

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><p><em><strong>Notes<strong>__: Thank you for reading. This will be my last fanfiction for a while, though. I'm sorry...I want to get into a good college this senior year! Xo Work will be taking up my time, but you can expect some Persona 3 oneshots from me in the not too distant future. Enough said. Bye for now~~! _


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